Foreign Lands
by Rogercat
Summary: Elia Martell did expect death for her and her two children, Rhaenys and Aegon, but instead finds sanctuary in a very different world: a kingdom called Rohan, ruled by the House of Eorl
1. Chapter 1

**A true knight**

Elia could feel the tension in the air, even here in the very godswood of the Red Keep. But she needed to come out from Maegor's Holdfast, her children would not feel well by being locked up indoors all the time. Reminding herself to pay the kind servant who had been kind enough to let them out at a time when no one would spot them that easily despite the colour on their clothing, Elia took the chance to enjoying watching her two children play together. It had also helped that there was no Kingsguard to watch the bridge leading into Maegor's Holdfast, only a random guard who had proven himself rather worrying easily distracted by a flirtatious maid servant as the Princess and her children had sneaked out.

"Aegon is better at walking now, mama!" Rhaenys commented, watching her young brother stumble around on the ground, his lilac eyes big in wonder over the grass felt over his tiny feet. A healthy toddler now when he was almost fifteen months old, he was still needing a little support when walking longer distances but fully determined to follow after his sister.

"Yes, he is. So big from how little he was at birth."

Elia shuddered at the memory threatening to enter the surface of her mind. That had been her closest meeting with the Stranger, unless one did count all the times she had struggled to survive as a baby born a month too early. She had known that she would face a true battle for life and death in the birthing bed, but needing a six months long bed rest to recover after her daughter's and almost dead after the birth of her son only little over a year later? If that was not a sign of that she had to avoid a third pregnancy, Elia did not know what to call it otherwise.

"Ma-ma!" Aegon called, holding up his arms in a request to be held. Rhaenys was satisfied enough by playing with little Balerion, the black kitten she had gotten back on Dragonstone who rarely left her side.

Suddenly, there was a massive amount of screams and the sounds of fighting coming from the city.

"_...Lord Tywin?!_" Elia realized in horror, having seen the Lannister lion on flags on the army outside the city that very morning. Had he chosen to betray the royal family because there was more to win with the Rebellion, having enough of the Targaryens? Betraying the King he once had been good friends with and served as Hand for twenty years?

"Princess! Please return to the holdfast now, it is not safe there if the soldiers manages to enter the Red Keep!" a terrified servant called.

Too late, just as Elia took a better hold on Aegon in one arm and grabbing Rhaenys' hand with her own free one, they saw a giant of a man, in steel armour, coming into the godswood and the servant was slain with a stab in the back. Despite that her orange dress would only stand out among the trees, Elia still fled in between the trees with her children.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

At the same time, a very different battle was happening just outside a ancient forest.

"Kill every last one of those wicked beings!"

The Éored led by twenty-seven year old Théodred, the Prince of Rohan and heir to their current King, was in the middle of cleaning out a large group of orcs that had been raiding a smaller village at the northern border of Rohan.

"Some of them are running into Fangorn, my prince!"

Then the prince suddenly stopped his horse for a moment, looking around as if trying to listen to something he just heard.

"My lord?"

There it was again, a scream that sounded like a woman, calling desperately for help in a language foreign for his ears. But for Théodred, who had seen his own people slain by the orcs, that cry for help was enough.

"Aldor! Cover my left!" Théodred ordered to his second-in-command, a older man well trained in battle and trustworthy in times of need. Riding in between the trees of Fangorn, Théodred cut down any orc he saw while following the screams.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

When had the forest changed into such old trees? And the air getting more difficult to breathe? Elia did not care, she was only grateful for that she had chosen a simple dress today, refusing to be dressed up in all her jewelry and other fine things people expected her to wear as the wife to the Crown prince. The dress was uncomplicated to move in, a very useful one if you needed to run, and Rhaenys' light blue dress had been made with the same reason in mind, especially as she was in that age when children was curious and sometimes could try to run off from those who watched over them.

"That monster is still following us, mama!"

Yes, that giant of a man was a horrible monster indeed, chasing them even as the branches on the trees slowed him down because of his size. A furious hiss was heard and something tiny, black dashed past them.

"Balerion!?"

That kitten really loved his little mistress, indeed, given how he tried to follow after the escaping family. A roar of anger was heard behind them as their attacker was coming closer.

Then, a grey horse showed up in front of them. Its rider was dressed in mail hauberk and a cuirass of boiled leather, but Elia could not recognize the style of the helmet or the round shield which hung from one side on the horse.

"Help us!" Rhaenys screamed, then she cried out in fear as the large man grabbed hold of Elia's dress from behind. The fabric tore apart all the way along her back as Elia lost her balance, trying to not drop Aegon on the ground as she fell.

Théodred did not hesitate for a moment, but drove his stallion Silvermoon closer in full gallop and willingly sacrificed his own cloak to throw it over the helmet on the large man, blocking the sight which had been visible though the visir. Then he used his throwing axe against the covered head to make the large man lose his own balance, away from the small family.

"Get up!"

Even if it was in a unknown language, the meaning was clear with the offered hand. As Rhaenys jumped up to reach the hand so she could be placed in front of the unknown rider, Elia managed to get up to her own feet. Even after two births and with a terrified, wailing toddler in one arm pressed against her chest to not drop her son, she was still enough flexible to slide up behind the rider as he pulled her up on his horse.

Based on the sheer size of the man and the plate armour, Théodred knew that it would be suicide to try and battle the giant. For whatever reason, the mother and her two children was targeted by him.

"Hold on! I will try and outride him!"

A loud meow was heard to his right, and a small black kitten revealed itself to be holding fast for its very life in his saddle bag with its claws.

As Gregor Clegane removed the green cloak from his helmet so he could see, the mysterious rider had already vanished between the trees with the crown princess and her two children. No matter where he looked for a glimpse of the orange dress, there was no trace.

From that day on, Elia Martell and her two children was gone from the Red Keep with no clue to their fate, but many would whisper of that Tywin Lannister would have gotten rid of them, to ensure that his own daughter would be the new queen, married to Robert Baratheon when he claimed the Kingship, taking the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms as his own.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Somehow, Théodred could feel just for a moment that something changed in the atmosphere just as he rode out from Fangorn. Whatever it was, he did not know, but he knew that he had done the right thing.

"I hope that was not your hus...my lady?!"

Elia felt herself become weak all suddenly, black spots dancing in front of her eyes. As she slipped off the horse, she just barely managed to adjust her body so Aegon would not land with his fragile head first in the ground.

"My lady!"

"Mama!"

Dismounting quickly, Théodred knelt on the ground to see if the mother was injured. Even if she had been lucky to avoid hitting her head, she was pale under the dark skin and her breathing was uneven. Back up on Silvermoon, the small girl started to cry and babble things in that unknown language in a upset voice, though Théodred would not be surprised if she was accusing him of being mean to her mother, and the smaller child wailed from the mother's arms as well.

"My prince!"

Aldor and the other soldiers under his command arrived on their horses.

"My prince, what…?"

"Someone was trying to kill this lady and her children, I managed to save them. The mother needs the care of the healers in Edoras, I do not think she is in the best of health," Théodred explained as he carefully lifted up the unconscious mother, borrowing a cloak to cover her since the dress had been ruined in the back earlier.

Gently, Aegon was handed to one of the riders who had some own children of the same age, Rhaenys was given to another father among them, and Aldor ensured that the black kitten was placed in his own saddle back with its head poking out for breathing, if the kitten was a beloved pet to the children then its presence could be a small comfort around strangers.

The year was 3005 of the Third Age of Middle-Earth, and some major changes was bound to happen in Rohan for the coming years.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note

The dress I imagine Elia to be wearing in this story:

/images/pictuers/a_model_in_orange_dress_for_ ?fbclid=IwAR1CiX5_fWdK8PWW3V9eMQylGTFV0rnxVAYWK7CAKPEoX7I9YRAK_RO8nV8

Inspiration for the dress Rhaenys is wearing:

. _ 

Because Aegon is still a very young, imagine that he is wearing a plain white tunic of cotton down to his ankles instead of anything modern-day clothing a toddler at the age of 15 months may wear


	2. Chapter 2

**A unexpected guest**

Now, arriving back to Edoras with injured people was nothing strange, but Théodred was in a hurry to get back home. The strange woman was not very strong in her body, that much was clear because she got tired very quickly over each day as they rode closer to Edoras, and being not much of a healer himself outside common first-aid to try and prevent a person from bleeding to death and stabilize broken limbs, the Prince of Rohan hoped that some female healers might be better for her. Perhaps some midwives might be needed as well, she sometimes pressed her hands against her womb as in pain.

"I hope that she is not suffering a possible miscarriage…!"

For all of that his own mother Elfhild had died in childbirth when he was born, Théodred had gotten some useful information about women and how to treat females with respect from his late aunt Théodwyn before she had died from a illness brought from the grief of losing her husband three years ago, it had helped that she had been only fifteen years older than her nephew and her own two children had been adopted by his father like his own.

Elia was exhausted from the long rides over the last days, but the strange men had at least been treating her and her children well. Sure, they spoke a language she had never heard before, and she had been enough much of the endless sea of grass to know that this was no place in Westeros where she had been visiting the few times she had left Dorne, Dragonstone or King's Landing on a journey.

At least there was some comfort in that many of the riders seemed familiar with children, possibly being fathers or older brothers, for Rhaenys and Aegon was treated well despite the different language spoken here. As for herself, there had been no signs of her being recognized as the wife of the now dead Crown prince of Westeros, or her daughter and son as his children, so hopefully they were safe, for now. If the Rebels got hold of them, Elia did not doubt for a moment that her children risked to be killed for their Targaryen blood. Her own ties to the Targaryen family was by marriage and as a very distant descendant of the marriage between Maron Martell and Daenerys Targaryen, the only true-born daughter between Aegon IV and his sister-wife Naerys Targaryen, which had happened 93 years before her own marriage to Rhaegar, the second time a Targaryen heir had married a daughter of House Martell.

"Please let my children be safe…" she thought, feeling her now very familiar tiredness take hold of her body again. Why she was feeling like this, Elisa could not even try to guess, but she knew that the whole time spent in King's Landing had taken its toll on her, the fear of what Aerys could get for mad ideas and possibly order her to be killed.

A few days ago, they had stopped at a smaller village, and Elia had been given a light grey, long-sleeved dress of wool to better cover herself from the weather. It was pleasantly warm against her skin, and the children had been allowed to borrow some clothing as well. Hopefully, she would be able to repay the kindness later at some point, for there had been some kindness from the women after that the Lord, or at least she believed her rescuer to be a Lord, had spoken to them in their own tongue.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Finally they could see Edoras in the distance, and Théodred was not the only one among his riders wanting to get home to their families and homes. The sooner the foreign lady could get treatment from the healers, the better. And her little daughter and son could be cared for by the maids, if it now was that the mother was falling ill.

"Cousin! Shall I tell uncle that you are back?" his fourteen-year-old cousin Éomer called at spotting the prince, waving with one arm to be seen up at the stone stairs leading up to Meduseld.

"Please do that, where is your sister? I need her help for a little errand…"

Almost like she had heard him, ten-year-old Éowyn arrived out from the stables, most likely having given her own pony some carrots or apples as a secret treat behind the back of the stable grooms.

"Éowyn, could you get the female healers to one of the guest chambers? This lady is in need of their help and you can run faster than me because I have to carry her."

If she was surprised to see the dark-skinned, raven-haired woman in front of the saddle where her older cousin was seated, Éowyn could tell that this was serious. Théodred had _never_ returned home with people who seemed to hail from the distant south. Was the woman from Near Harad, based on the colour of her skin tone, since people from Far Harad was said to have black skin?

"Surely they could not have been foolish enough to send a mother and her children to act as a spy in Rohan?" Éowyn wondered for herself as she hurried away to find the female healers and some of the midwives as her cousin had requested by her.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

"My lord Father and King, I have returned."

Théoden, the seventeenth and current King of Rohan, got a much welcomed break in his paperwork when his son arrived into the chamber where the King would be found for that kind of royal business. Just because only the upper elit of Rohan was taught how to read and write, it did not mean that the King and his direct relatives could escape a such education. With Théodred as his only child, and Éomer and Éowyn as next-in-line, this had made them know from a early age that they had to take politics seriously.

"And I hear that you have brought a unusual guest with you. Please tell me why."

Knowing that the truth was better than a lie, Théodred told his father of the battle which had happened just outside Fangorn, and how he had found Elia and her children being chased by a unusual tall man who seemed very set on possibly killing them.

"I know that it might not have been the best action, but with orcs attacking our borders, I can not stand the sight of innocent lives being taken, especially mothers with young children," Théodred confessed, half-expecting his father to say something akin to that he should have let them die.

"Sometimes a good deed pays off, dear son. As you said yourself, innocent lives are often the first victims of war, or what could lead to conflicts which grows into war if it is not stopped early. Perhaps she is the wife of a traveling merchant from Far Harad and they were mistaken as spies by soldiers from Gondor. Denethor have grown suspicious against people from the southern lands laterly."

Théodred visibly relaxed a little.

"Thank you for those kind words, Father. I was worried that I had done a mistake...oh?"

Someone was knocking on the door, before entering. It was Mereliss, Théodred's old wet nurse and one of the most high-ranked female servants in the royal court. Widowed in young age, she had chosen the path of a midwife to support herself and her children, making her a well-known face for almost every household in Edoras, for she insisted on helping women in the birthing bed no matter which social class they belonged to.

"Well, I have to say that you arrived home with a big surprise for us all, my sweet prince. But you did right in bringing the lady here, for she was in need of some good care and much needed rest, for all of that I trust you and your men to have done your best to be kind to her during the travel home?"

"...Yes," Théodred responded, before asking:

"I hope that she is not ill in some manner? She was very tired during the journey from Fangorn and sometimes acted as if she had pain in her abdomen, which worried me."

"That kind of tiredness one must expect from a lady with delicate health. Not sickly from what I could find out, but most likely a result of a too early birth and the struggle to survive afterwards. As for that little detail about her abdomen, there was no signs of her moonblood or miscarriage, so I would rather say that she might be sensitive to certain types of food. It is not unheard of among those who are of less than robust health, that they need to be a little more careful with what they eat."

Mereliss was in her mid-fifties, she knew what she was talking about if she could spot something related to childbirth or problems related to female health. And being the same generation as the King, those experiences made her valuable for many reasons.

"Thank you for checking her over, Mereliss. And the children are fine as well?"

"Apart from a few minor rashes resulting from that the borrowed clothes being of a fabrice which was a little rough against the skin, and the skin of such young ones can be sensitive."

Since it was confirmed that Elia would not be strong enough to travel on her own, or that they had no idea where her husband could be, Théoden decided that she and the children would be treated as guests, under his son's protection since Théodred had been the one to save them.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

When Elia woke up properly, she found herself looking into an unfamiliar ceiling of wood, and when she moved her hands she felt that there was several pelts laying over the quilt to keep her warm. The chamber was pretty dark because there was no windows, but it was large enough to still feel airy somehow and the walls was decorated with tapestries to make the chamber feel warmer, a theme especially focusing on horses and their riders.

"Mama! You are awake!"

It was Rhaenys, who had been sitting on the floor to play with Aegon, both being seated on some other pelts to not be directly on the floor and based on what Elia could make out from the angle she saw them in, her children had been given some soft, knitted toys to entertain themselves with. And a small weight on her legs told her where Balerion currently was doing as well; sleeping peaceful with her as a pillow.

"I must have slept longer than I intended...Rhaenys dear, do you know if it is afternoon or already evening?" Elia wondered, and her daughter's face showed deep thought.

"I think...it is afternoon, we was given some porridge and bread to eat earlier, and milk to drink with the food, both me and Aegon! They did not wake you up, mama, for I think they said something about you needing to sleep...or I think they said so."

Hard to blame Rhaenys for not being sure of what the unfamiliar adults had spoken, but it pleased Elia to hear that her children was treated well while she could not watch. Perhaps they were in a place where they could be safe, as long as she did not mention the surnames of their families.

"Rhae! Play?" Aegon asked from where he was still sitting on the pelt, holding up one toy towards his sister in a offering. Elia nodded to her daughter to at least take the offered toy, or he might become sad over it.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

Elia and Rhaegar was married in the year 280 after the Conquest, Rhaenys being born later the same year, and Elia's ancestors Maron and Daenerys married in 187 after the Conquest

Harad, fully named Haradwaith, is the immense realm located south of both Gondor and Mordor. The Men of Harad were known as Southrons or Haradrim ("South-multitude"). According to the information found on the various Tolkien wikis, the people of Near Harad were brown-skinned, with black hair and dark eyes, which is why Éowyn mistakes Elia as coming from there.

Mereliss is a name in Old English which means "Famous kindness", and with Théodred's mother Elfhild dying at his birth he logically would have needed a wet nurse


	3. Chapter 3

**Different land, unfamiliar **

Rohan, she had heard them mention several times, the kind maids who checked on her and the children several times over the days, to see if there was any help needed. By now, Elia felt strong enough to leave her bed for a longer time, which Rhaenys and Aegon was much delighted over because it meant that she finally had the energy to play with them better.

Was Rohan the name of where they was now? She had never heard of it in Westeros, could it be a local name for a place somewhere? It was not enough cold to be in the North, for sure. And she had not seen any rivers , so that ruled out the Riverlands as well. Hopefully not anywhere in the Crownlands, because that held the high risk of that she would be recognized by someone as Rhaegar's humiliated wife and people from Dorne was not so common there outside those working with trade and as sailors at the sea. The Reach somehow also felt as a very low possibility, again because of the lack of any great rivers and while there was vast seas of grass, there had been rather small villages on the way to this strange city she and the children had been brought to, which badly matched the description of the Reach as the most fertile and heavily-populated part of Westeros.

The eastern part of the Stormlands _was_ a possibility, but Elia had no desire to be found by Robert Baratheon or anyone who had joined him in the Rebellion against House Targaryen. Rhaegar's madness of vanishing with Lyanna Stark, who was betrothed to Robert, and his obsession with that prophecy about the prince that was promised, had pulled his whole family into the danger. And yet hopefully not the westerlands, not after that Elia had seen King's Landing be sacked by the soldiers led by Tywin Lannister.

"Rhaenys and Aegon will not have to suffer for what Rhaegar did…!"

At the same time, Elia was just glad that she had her daughter and son with her. If she had lost them, she knew that she would never have forgiven herself. They were her biggest treasure, the only joy from a arranged marriage to a reserved husband, which had managed to work reasonable well before that damned tournament at Harrenhal.

"Doran...Oberyn...please be safe, if the two of you and your families are dragged into this as well…"

Elia could only pray for that the Rebellion would not enter Dorne too and bring harm to its people, for her homeland had no fault in Rhaegar's behavior outside that she was his wife.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

With his father giving him the task of being a protector of the foreign lady and her children, Théodred knew that one part of that duty was to ensure that they were clothed and fed.

Edoras did not have the grand markets of Minas Tirith, but the capital of Rohan was still home to several skilled craftsmen and their female variants as well. As such, he was now on the way to that part of the city.

"Aye, my Prince, we saw the lady and children when you arrived home yesterday. Slender lady, I have to say, since she did not seem to have much meat on her body, but then again some people have that body build from birth. Shoes for the lady and both the young kids?" a elderly shoemaker asked, without looking up from the pair of shoes he already was working on.

"Yes. It may be summer right now, but the weather can still turn unpleasant even in this season and everyone know how annoying it can be to have your bare feet in cold mud after a rainfall."

Mutterings of agreements from the other craftsmen, who had their workshops there as well.

"They will need clothing, too. Two of those linen cloth for dresses to the mother, please. I will send Mereliss for a better fitting this afternoon, she may be able to give better details than myself. And is there anything of softer linen here that could fit for a girl below the age of four and a boy less than two years old?"

Linen clothing was preferable on small children, often because it was much easier to wash than wool and the fact that such young ones was drawn towards muddy places to play.

"How many sets, my prince? They are young, but they will be growing so it would be wise to buy a size too large so they can grow into their clothing. Until then, the clothes can be sewn in on a few places."

Théodred nodded, recalling how Mereliss had done the same for him as a child when new clothes would be brought.

"Two everyday dresses for the girl, and two tunics for the little boy, so they can still have clothes if one set needs to be washed. Then one larger size of each garment, with leggings and woolen socks for colder weather."

Coins was not as common in Rohan as in Gondor, with the common people normally using a part of their harvest to pay taxes, but here in Edoras it was used at least.

Turning around, Théodred suddenly saw something on the western side of Meduseld's stone ground that would scare any adult;

The white-haired little boy, being far too close to the edge for his own safety, because he tried to follow after a much more flexible cat from the stables.

"_By the hunters of Béma…!_"

To be honest, so had little Aegon simply been curious about this strange place where he, his mama and sister was in now. So different from the chambers in that _other_ big place, he recalled Maegor's Holdfast in that manner because he did not know its name, and there was other cats outside Balerion to play with! Surely his mama would not be angry if he tried to play with the other cats, only for a little while?

"Kitty? Kitty, kitty."

The straw-coloured cat naturally ignored the toddler, instead taking a few steps further away to get some peace and then a nice long nap after some mouse hunting in the stables earlier.

Now Aegon was a peaceful personality for someone so young, but he still had the normal curiosity of a child his age and this naturally made him go dangerously closer to the edge as he followed after the cat on slightly unsteady feet. He had not been slow when learning to walk, he simply had needed some more time between the crawling and how to actually stand up long enough to take those first steps.

"Kitty…."

Then one tiny bare foot got too close to the edge, and the surprised Aegon would have fallen to his death six meters down from the stone wall to the ground in that very moment, had it not been for the long legs Théodred had been blessed with from childhood and his quick reflexes which helped him rush up the steps to Meduseld, past the surprised guards on front of the Golden Hall and throwing himself forwards enough long to be able to grab the back of the boy's tunic just before Aegon fell over.

"You are very lucky in that I had some training on watching my younger cousins when they were in your age, visiting us with their parents and all too eager to explore Meduseld as well, young man," Théodred spoke in a stern voice while pulling Aegon up in his arm, trying to calm down his own terror over how close it had been. Surely the maids could keep a better eye on his younger guests than leaving them alone like that? He needed to talk with them, though only a scolding and a reminder to do better in the future should be enough.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Elia, who had taken a short nap with her children only moments before, had grown worried when Rhaenys had gently poked her awake and pointed out that Aegon was not in their chamber. The half-open door, and a dropped toy just outside, told enough of where her son had gone.

"Aegon? Aegon, where are you?" Rhaenys called, trying to spot her little brother with Elia not far behind.

"Mama!" a small voice called, and they saw Aegon happy waving from the arms of the warrior who was now a rather familiar face after so many long days of travel together. Although he did not speak the Common Tongue of Westeros, Elia could tell from his movements and the tone of his voice that Aegon had been away on a little adventure by himself but not harmed himself.

"Thank you for bringing him back, my lord," Elia thanked him with a grateful smile as she took Aegon in her own arms, despite that they did not speak the same language, and for a short moment that smile seemed to lighten up the hall around them.

Éomer and Éowyn, who had been watching behind a corner at spotting their cousin carrying the white-haired toddler back into Meduseld, tried their best to not be heard in their whispering:

"Our cousin are not intending to marry her, right? I know that widows can remarry if there is need of it for survival with very young children, but the Kings of Rohan have never married a woman from Near Harad in the past, from what I know. Gondor, yes, or our own noble women, but never from the more distant south."

"We do not even know if she is a widow, sister. But she is under Théodred's protection and uncle would not be pleased if he hears that we are being rude to a guest to our cousin."

It seemed like Théodred might have heard them, for in the next moment they had to hide without being seen as he turned around to look behind him.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

Well, who said that only females likes to go shopping? Théodred is now responsible for Elia, Rhaenys and Aegon until that they know what to do with the small family, so naturally he would ensure that they have clothes that better fits the climate of Rohan

Coins might seem out of place in Rohan, but remember, they are close allies with Gondor and I think that coins could be at least used by merchants and nobility in Rohan, while the common people pay their taxes with a part of their harvest and whatever extra animals, linen or wool fabric they can afford to part with as tax to their King


	4. Chapter 4

**To find a place to belong**

So far, Mereliss could tell that the female guest of Théodred could not be a possible spy. Her behavior was that of a woman finding herself in a unknown land, and fearing for her two young children, as if they could be in danger of some kind.

"Did her husband commit a such horrible crime that law demands the whole family executed, no matter what their age?"

Such laws was not the ways of Rohan, but rumours said that it was more common in the far east. Perhaps that could explain why the prince had found only the lady and her children, but not her husband, running away from someone who tried to kill them.

"_Lady?_" the small girl asked, looking at Mereliss as she helped the mother to dress. Clearly she attempted to address her in the language of their homeland, and it was rude to expect mother and daughter to learn Rohirric almost at once the moment they entered Edoras. With some time, they would learn.

"Call me Mereliss," she responded kindly, and Elia felt brave enough to at least try her name.

"Marelis?"

Well, different languages was bound to have different sounds and way of pronunciation, so Mereliss did not feel insulted. Lady Elia struggled enough with by having to use body language and sign language attempts in an attempt to explain what she or the children needed.

"Lis!" Aegon shrieked from the bed, having a little more success than his mother since toddlers in his age generally was expected to speak words a bit strange before they learned the right pronunciation.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Even if most of the people was blonde, Elia knew now that this could not be anywhere in the westerlands. The endless sea of grass she had seen on the way here, the landscape too flat to conceal systems of caves and caverns under the hills.

"Are we...even in Westeros anymore?"

Based on the amount of people and the many stands set up, it seemed to be a market day. Elia could see at once that she and Rhaenys would stand out with their black hair and dark olive skin colour, but there was no suspicious looks directed at her and the children, just honest curiosity. Perhaps black hair and dark skin was not very common here. Aegon had the silver-blond hair of the Targaryen family, but it helped to bring out his similar skin color and if anyone saw his eyes, it was actually a colour akin to blue violets, with a hint of purple in them. A colour thankfully enough common in the Targaryen blood to not be viewed as a proof of unfaithfulness.

"Balerion!"

The black kitten had jumped from Rhaenys' arms, chasing after a mouse which had just passed by them. Mereliss said something in her language, clearly offering to show the small family something.

Mereliss took them outside the wooden palisade as a horn was blown, where a stunning sight could be seen:

At least four hundred riders, all dressed in mail hauberk but wearing various kind of helmets. A few of the riders could be seen in cuirasses of boiled leather, some others in scale armour. Based on the manner they used their swords and round shields against each others, this must be a military exercise of some kind.

A new horn signal, and all the riders turned around to form a long line, three riders next to each other, showing Elia that whatever this place was, its people clearly was a culture where riding and horses was a central part.

Éomer and other adolescents, who was still a little too inexperienced with the weapon training to be a part of military exercise and still four years away from their coming-of-age until manhood, had been tasked with doing some of the basic movements in order to learn the maneuvers on the horses which one day could be the key to survival in battle. So far, none of the adolescents had avoided making fool out of himself by falling off his horse, even if it was normal, But it would so horribly humiliating, if it happened in front of the King and his heir!

A new horn signal, and all the riders put up their horses in a long line next to each other, while the group of adolescents gathered up closer to the wooden palisade which protected Edoras, Éomer even pulling up Éowyn in front of his saddle so she could see better. King Théoden and his heir Théodred was coming to watch their soldiers.

"Théoden Kyeng! Théodred Pengel!" the people around Elia called. She could not yet really understand the exact meaning, but there was no mistake in how the men and women bowed for the two men riding on two almost alike horses. The ruler of those lands and his heir…

The man who had saved her and her children. Elia tried her best to not blush too noticeably when Théodred stopped for a moment right where the small family stood, and even offered a faint smile to Elia before he followed after his father again. While this was seen, of course, the Rohirrim of Edoras knew better than start gossiping about it, for words had gone out about Théodred being made the guardian of the unknown woman and her children and why would there be any reason to doubt it? Their culture favorited honesty over lies, and only a fool would disobey orders directly from the King of Rohan. Besides, this was hardly the first time Théodred paid attention to a women, even if his previous attempts of courtship had never become particularly serious. The future King of Rohan did not dislike women, no, he had easy to befriend the opposite gender but had confessed to that despite being 27 years old, he still was not really sure on what kind of personality he wanted in a future wife. He did not live for war, but simply was one of those people who took longer to find the right person to marry.

Once Théodred had joined Théoden and rode further away, Rhaenys looked up on Elia:

"He is a real knight because he saved us, right mama?"

"Yes, he is. But until that we learns this language he speaks, we better not tell him that since they might use a very different word for it."

It was all Elia could explain to her daughter at the moment, for this land and its people was so very different from Westeros that there had to be things which was completely unknown to the Seven Kingdoms here. She only hoped that her family would not be dragged into a war again.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note: Now, it may sound a little too modern to come of age at 18 in Rohan, but Tolkien himself had to wait until he became a legal adult on his 21th birthday before he could court his future wife Edith, who was three years his senior. They first met in 1908, when Edith was nineteen and he was all but sixteen years

For both boys and girls in Westeros, sixteen is the age of legal majority

King - kyneg and Prince - pengel in Anglo-Saxon, I wanted to use some real words from the culture Rohan is inspired by and also to show how the Rohirric, the language of the Rohirrim of Rohan, might sound for a foreigner who have never heard it before. In the LOTR novels it is always represented by the Mercian dialect of Anglo-Saxon. This is because Tolkien saw the relationship between Rohirric and the Common Speech to be the same as that of Anglo-Saxon and English, which was used to represent Westron.


	5. Chapter 5

**Creating bonds**

If she had counted right, it must be close to a month since Elia, Rhaenys and Aegon had been saved by Théodred. So far, life in Edoras had been reasonable pleasant, but she wanted to know more of the culture here.

"Horses really is important for them," Elia smiled for herself in amusement when she visited the stables to let her children enjoy the older horses, who could be trusted to not be spooked that easy.

Somewhere outside Edoras, to the east, there was a large stone circle with a altar in the middle. If she watched from Meduseld, which was the highest place in Edoras since it was the seat of the King, she could see small groups of people walk there with things like small baskets and clay jars. It seemed to be their version of a temple and give small offerings and prayers to the gods in the open, since there was no woods to be seen here for miles and not all stonemasons could focus on building a temple, which could take years.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Théodred was leading one small group of people from Edoras who would offer a few pieces of food and prayers to the Valar. He intended to pray to Béma and his wife, the Ever-Young Lady of Spring, asking for help in finding out whatever Elia was a possible widow and if she had any family to return her to, if she now was missing from her home.

"If she have a family, surely she would want to return home…"

The orange silk dress Elia had worn when he saved her, and the blue dress her daughter had worn as well, hinted to that they came from a well-off family. Little Aegon was too young to wear anything more finely, given that he was in a age where small children needed clothes which would not be ruined easy, but as Elia's son he would likely have worn something similar once old enough.

Blood sacrifice was rare, outside except in the fall at the harvest feast, when they searched for a healthy pair of a stag and doe to kill on the stone altar as a sacrifice to Béma. The horses of Rohan was too valuable to lose once a year in a such manner, not even done in desperate times like during the reign of Helm Hammerhand, the ninth King of Rohan.

So instead the prince of Rohan simply picked a finger with a normal sewing needle, allowing a few drops of blood to land on the altar before he brought the fingertips over the weathered stone, spreading out the blood with his fingers so that all the gathered people could see.

"Hear this prayer of mine, Béma, Lord of the Hunt and Forests!"

The prayer itself was meant to be revealed as a manner of speaking in the head, so no one else would hear what Théodred wished to speak of.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Sometime after being at the stables, they had happened to find a musician who played on a lyre, a bit away from where they walked. Nothing alike the harp Rhaegar had loved to play so much.

"Mama!?" Aegon gasped in worry when Elia suddenly had to fight back the tears threatening to leave her eyes. It was not tears of grief or joy, however, it was from anger. The humiliation of not being viewed as good enough, that she basically had been tossed aside for a younger woman, despite doing her most important duty and given him a healthy son in Aegon.

"_That damned idiot….!_"

As long as Elia could remember, she had never liked the ballads and songs of love. She had always hated the sweet giggles and soft eyes other girls her age had made at them. Because how could a life be defined by a song? A song that never showed kindness to those unfortunate souls but praised those lovesick fools who threw away everything for their passion, because the songs never mentioned the resulting aftermath. At looking back on her life as Rhaegar's wife, she had still become disgraced by the actions of her husband. She had been foolish enough to believe that Rhaenys was enough to start dragging Rhaegar into the reality of parenthood, even with all the servants to help her care for her daughter. That a beautiful baby boy with sweet dark blue lavender eyes was enough to please Rhaegar and make him start living in reality, not the dreamworld he seemed to be lost in. Hell, even that _**SHE**_ herself was enough to ensure that Rhaegar would not do something based on his readings of old books and daydreams. Though she soon realized nothing for him, in terms of what should be the most important for him, his own family, was ever enough against prophecies and the need to be seen as the hero of legends. In what she once had believed to be her final moments, Elia loathed the songs of men. More than she loathed the scent of filth in King's Landing. More than the silent and somber Dragonstone. More than the clumsy touches of that silver-haired twat. More than the stupid prophecy that all these silver fools believed in.

She was the woman who had married Rhaegar, and risked her own life in the birthing bed twice to give him their two children. And what thanks had she been given from him as reward? Humiliation in front of all the Lords in the Seven Kingdoms, tossed aside for a younger woman-girl, his need to get the third child she would never be able to give birth to.

"_**That cursed prophecy he was so obsessed with!**_"

Neither Rhaenys or Aegon was used to see their mother cry, since Elia generally spared her crying until after that they had fallen asleep, so for them this was a situation in which they did not know what to do.

"Mama, mama, please do not cry…" Rhaenys begged, gently tugging on the dress of her mother, feeling herself starting to become sad despite not understanding why. But Elia found herself unable to stop crying now when it had started. So many tears she had not let out since the day Théodred had saved their lives.

"Elia?"

It was Théodred who had spoken, his face showing a bit of worry but not the confused look Rhaegar had shown whatever she had acted in a different manner than what he seemed to have expected from her. Elia could not explain, knowing too few words still in his own language, but he still opened his arms in a silent permission that she could cry out with him.

It felt good to cry, and Aegon was not squashed between them as Théodred held her close. He even managed to pick up Rhaenys with one hand and held her in his arm so she could hug her mother.

"Just by this...he is showing me so much more attention than that unconcerned blockhead of a inbred prince!"

Even if Théodred had his duties as a prince, he still tried to at least see them once everyday to ensure that nothing was missing for Elia and her children. Aegon clearly liked him to the point of trying to hug his leg as a greeting, and Rhaenys' already faint memories of Rhaegar, caused by his own absence in their lives, was slowly fading away. Théodred had not yet replaced Rhaegar in her mind, but the blurry memories of the Targaryen prince's silver hair and deep purple eyes was not as strong as they once had been in the first days after what had been the final time Rhaegar had seen his family to vanish out of their lives forever by dying.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

One of their more unusual tasks, despite being the King's nephew and nice, was that Éomer and Éowyn had to learn a bit of the basis of cooking, the lessons happening in a small outdoor cooking area to avoid that a building was set on fire. But as one of the most common sayings in Rohan went: _If you can not cook a basic meal, you will starve. _

So far, it seemed like Éowyn was that kind of girl who really wanted to learn, but somehow ended up confusing the various steps even with good teachers.

"I burnt the stew again!" she cried out in distress, from where she had borrowed a small pot and a few small food items to make a meal for two persons. Éomer, who had more success with the small bread buns they had planned to have with the stew, calmly removed the pot from the cooking fire and even was brave enough to actually taste a spoonful of it.

"We got a too salty broth from the beginning," he managed to say after needing to drink a large cup of beer to drown out the salty taste, trying to cheer her up a little bit, not wanting his sister to blame herself for the whole cooking disaster. But Éowyn was a bit sensitive about this failure, because cooking was a very useful skill in Rohan, something everyone had to learn, even the nobles and royalty.

"What if I meets someone I might want to marry in the future and can not even give him a meal made by my own hands?!"

Thankfully, Éomer had a response for that:

"Your decoration skills with nuts and fruits on cakes are very good, so if you just leave the cooking to the servants, I think you will be fine."

Footsteps was heard, and their cousin arrived with lady Elia and her children.

"Can we help out in the cooking?"

Of course, it was hard to avoid noticing that Elia seemed to have cried, because her eyes was still a little shiny, but from the way she actually smiled at Théodred, it was not his fault.

"Apart from the burnt stew, we still have some pieces of lamb meat, vegetable stock, rosemary, onions, carrots, a little flour and butter…"

Elia looked over what they had, and then asked something in her own language, but it was clear that she asked if she could help. With Théodred nodding, she first washed her hands in a small bowl of water to clean her hands, then she took another bowl and seasoned the lamb meat with a bit of the flour and rosemary, before taking the pan to melt the butter and brown the meat. After removing the lamb pieces, she used the remaining flour, cut up carrots and vegetable stock to make a simple gravy with rosemary to add more flavor. Elia had to improvise a bit, but she had learnt a few things from the kitchen staff at Sunspear when she was young and could not do anything too exhausting for her health. The kitchen area had been a place where she could watch without feeling like she was ignored or had to pay attention to how her body felt.

Clearly Théodred and his cousins enjoyed this meal together with their guests, serving the lamb dish with the bread buns from earlier, and the crown prince of Rohan even took care to spoon feeding Aegon from his own bowl, with the toddler sitting between his crossed legs as they did not any small spoon to fit his little hands. But Rhaenys managed to hold the spoon she had been offered since she was a little older, and tried to offer Éowyn a few pieces of soft-boiled carrot.

"Just let her try to feed you once, Éowyn, children that age want to try the same things as grown-ups do to them."

Even Éomer accepted a piece of lamb meat from Rhaenys without protests, after all Éowyn had once been in that age not too many years ago, with only a few weeks left to her tenth year since birth, and done the same things to him since he was only four years older.

Despite being six persons in total, with varying need of how much food to serve since they were in different ages, there was still some lamb meat and gravy over when they had finished eating.

"I think uncle will enjoy to taste this, lamb are his favorite meat, right, cousin?" Éowyn asked as they started to clean up.

"Yes, if you hurries up to Meduseld right now, I think it will still be warm enough for my father to taste. Besides, I know that he would welcome a small break, there was some important letters he had to write today."

With a happy smile, Éowyn took the small pot with the leftovers in both hands and hurried towards the stone stairs leading up to Meduseld. Inspired by the older girl Rhaenys tried to lit the pan with both hands, but found that it was a little too heavy for her.

"You need to grow a little more before trying anything like that," Théodred explained in a kind voice, even if Rhaenys was not really sure of what he had said to her. But that he spoke in a kind voice, helped her to understand that it was nothing serious or a scolding.

"I will go back to training, is there anything else you need help with?" Éomer wondered, trying to not stand in the walk for Aegon's attempts of walking without support. Then the white-haired toddler did something unexpected, with he pointed at Théodred, and said in a slightly confused voice:

"Papa?"

For all of that it was said in the Common Tongue of Westeros, Théodred and Éomer realized what kind of word it must be Aegon had said, based from Elia's first shocked reaction and then her own attempts to explain something to her son in the same language. Aegon did not seem to accept what Elia said, given how he grabbed his own hair and then pointed at Théodred again, saying the same word as before.

"Sorry, my lords! We need to leave now! Rhaenys, Aegon, say good-bye!"

Rhaenys barely had time to raise her hand in a small wave, before Elia pulled her along, Aegon in her arms. Only when the embarrassed Elia had left with her children and was out of hearing, did Éomer start laughing.

"I know that there is nothing between you and lady Elia, cousin, but you have to admit that it is pretty funny to see a kid that young mistake you for the father."

"Tell this to anyone, even your sister, and you will bite the dust during weapon training for the rest of the day," Théodred warned in a low voice, his whole face red over what just had happened. Éomer knew his older cousin well enough to understand that it was a real threat the prince would not hesitate to make, and that onlookers would only view it as him trying to teach his younger cousin that in a real fight, you either win or die.

"I promise, cousin."

And he hurried off towards the training area before Théodred could grab him for any added threats, just in case, leaving the heir of King Théoden alone with his thoughts on what to do now.

"It is in situations like this that I wish that mother and aunt was still alive, for some help!" Théodred muttered for himself, turning towards Meduseld to tell his father about this unexpected turn of events. At least Théoden would not laugh at his son, that the prince of Rohan knew.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

Béma was the name used by the Northmen for Oromë, and as a rider I think he would have been one of the most important Valar for the people of Rohan. Vána is the spouse of Oromë, with influence with the flora and fauna of Middle-earth, "all flowers spring as she passes and open if she glances upon them", so I thought it natural that she may be called "Ever-Young Lady of Spring" as one of her names among the race of Men.

And yes, I tends to imagine Rhaegar as a daydreamer with a strong pull towards being a escapist, someone who have rarely been told that he was wrong about something and became a little too obsessed with the prophecy of the Prince that was promised and possibly also the idea of being the father of a "second" trio of Aegon, Rhaenys and Visenya who would be almost fully grown in 300 AC, given the names of his children with Elia who are born in 280 and late 281/early 282, since Rhaenys is only 15 months older than Aegon. Very possible that he firmly believed that the younger and in terms of possible fertility, far healthier Lyanna Stark would be the "ideal mother" of a new Visenya, since Elia could not have more children after Aegon, but failed to realize just how disastrous consequences his actions would become


	6. Chapter 6

**A little time together**

He had been mostly right about how his father would react. Théodred was spared from his sire and King laughing at him when he told of what little Aegon most likely had said, but Théoden's blue eyes was still shining in a manner which told of that he found it all very funny, just like his nephew.

"I hope that you did not feel insulted or anything similar, my son, because it could very well be that you look a little alike to lady Elia's husband and that her son's young age made him confuse the two of you."

Still blushing somewhat, Théodred could only nod in silent agreement.

"Rather the innocent misunderstanding from a such young child, than that he and his sister are scared of me."

It was not like Elia had learned enough Rohirric to be able to tell where she last had seen her husband, or whatever she knew him to be alive or dead. It could very well be that she was a widow, without any of the protection a husband would normally give though marriage and most likely far away from her birth family and home.

"Oh, and the lamb stew is something I would gladly eat again with delight. It is always nice with something new once in a while," Théoden managed to tell before his son left the office. He did not miss the slight blush still on the cheeks of his heir before the door was closed.

While this was far from the first time Théodred acted as protector for a woman in need, the King of Rohan really hoped that his son might finally find a possible wife and settle down to father his own heirs, so Rohan would not lose the House of Eorl their royal dynasty belonged to. He did not blame the prince for not marrying earlier, sometimes it was hard to find a woman who you felt a good connection with, but he did hope that Théodred would marry before he got too old to avoid some of the worst fears every married husband in Rohan feared: Dying at a bad time and leaving a underage son as the next head of the family. That was the fate of his own brother-in-law Éomund, for example.

A underage King, taking up the crown of a slain father at a young age, would not be able to lead Rohan in war. And Théoden would hate to leave a underage grandson as his heir, if Théodred died before him.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

The next day, Elia was still a little nervous around Théodred when he offered to take her and the children to a pasture where some more children-sized ponies was used for teaching young children the first steps of riding. But he did not really blame her, it could be hard to know if someone was easily offended or not.

"Mama! Can I ride?" Rhaenys asked, and Elia nodded to one of the men who was in change of the ponies. Aegon was still a little too young for it, but he would hopefully get lessons as well in the future.

Like the other young girls gathered for the riding lesson, Rhaenys did have linen pants under her dress and a good set of leather boots on her feet, while the boys naturally had pants already from the start. The five teachers showed the children how to approach the ponies from the front, staying in the line of sight. Petting the ponies was a good first step, and then the children got leather helmets to set on their heads as protection.

"No sudden movements, or loud talking, the ponies can be spooked."

Since the children was still very young, the adults helped them mount into the saddles by using a well-placed flat stone to reach up and Théodred took a lead rein to the pony Rhaenys was riding. Apart from her colouring which set her apart, she could very well have been any other young girl born among the Rohirrim.

Rhaenys was not the only one showing joy over the first riding, and she was even invited to come and play by the other children after that the lesson was finished, despite that she could not speak many words of their own language. But that was when body language and hand signs came to be of use.

"Elia, would you like to try a little ride?" Théodred asked, nodding towards a pasture of older horses that was suitable for riders who was not so confident in the saddle. Her facial expression revealed that she had understood the sentence somewhat, probably because his eyes had been hinting towards the pasture.

"_I do not know if I can leave Aegon…_" she said in her own language, but her worried look towards her son told enough of what she was thinking. And there was someone close-by who could help.

"Éomer? Would you mind watching little Aegon for Elia while she and I am taking a little ride around Edoras?"

"Which one of us two are the one having a younger sibling again, cousin?" the teenager responded in good humour, showing up from where he had just been watering the ponies. Aegon looked a little unsure to be left with the older boy, but was won over by Éomer offering the toddler a little wooden horse to play with in the soft grass.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Ser Amory Lorch was not happy at the moment. He was not the most educated among his fellow landed knights, but he knew one thing:

This endless sea of grass was nowhere in the Westerlands at all. He had been on the way home from the capital with the rest of the Lannister family, after a meeting where Lord Tywin Lannister did not hide his disappointment over that Princess Elia Martell and her two brats had managed to escape from him and Gregor Clegane. As long as that Dornish bitch was alive, and with both the Mad King Aerys killed by Jaime Lannister and his oldest son Rhaegar dead in battle against Robert Baratheon, she would be able to claim her youngest brat as the new King of Westeros, the daughter was less important than her royal brother. And Lord Tywin wanted his own daughter Cersei as the new Queen consort of the Seven Kingdoms at the side of Robert Baratheon, if now that northern girl Lyanna Stark could be removed as well.

"He better reward me well for this...searching for any signs of a village is a pain!"

With no squire to help with his armour, his warhorse or setting up camp everyday, he had to do everything by his own hands. And as a landed knight, that was a blow to his pride, for all of that landed knights was the lowest rank of nobility in Westeros.

There in the distance, it finally seemed to be a settlement of some kind.

Elia might not have the strongest of female bodies, but she had learned to ride as a child and greatly enjoyed the easy-to-handle mare Théodred had picked out for her while he rode his own warhorse. Sure, she was used to a different saddle, the kind of light saddle used in Dorne and had never truly masted to sit in a sidesaddle as it was viewed as improper by a noble lady in Westeros to ride in the same manner as a man, but it was clear as day that she had some skills.

"You are riding well indeed!" Théodred laughed as they set off in a race from Edoras.

"Thank you!" Elia managed to say in Rohirric over her shoulder because she had understood it as a compliment, she had now mastered a few everyday words and felt less ignorant. Mereliss was a good teacher to the small family of three.

Then Théodred saw something come close, something which was rarely seen in Rohan: A steel armour. But something was odd, no sign of the White Tree of Gondor which a messenger normally would wear.

And Elia's happy face turned into horror at seeing the black manticore on a red field. She recalled it from that horrible day in King's Landing, before escaping to the placed where Théodred had saved her.

"**NO!**" she screamed, turning her mare around to flee back to Edoras in wild gallop. Amory had also realized her identity because of her black hair and skin colour, and now aimed to finish the order from Tywin Lannister about killing Elia. Once she was dead, there would only be the two brats to deal with.

Éowyn, who had gotten a break from her school lessons, took a seat beside her brother while Rhaenys was still playing with the older children.

"Is that a messenger from Gondor?" she wondered, looking over the palisade to see better. Éomer, who still held a now peacefully sleeping Aegon, tried to see what she had referred to.

"Most odd, I have to say. Uncle said nothing about letters from the Steward of Gondor...wait, is he attacking lady Elia?!"

Éowyn was smaller than her brother, and with no sleeping toddler to hold, she could hurry down the wooden stair faster than him over to the stables. On the way there, she grabbed one of the round shields her people favored.

Théodred had brought his sword along on the ride and thus could distract Amory in the hope of gaining more time for Elia to escape back to the security of Edoras and the city guards there. Granted, he did not have his armor for protection, but like all Rohirrim he had learned to ride from a early age and how fight in the saddle.

"Get lost, your peasant mutt!" Amory growled in annoyance over that someone had dared to get in his way, as Théodred was not showing much signs of his royal status in his clothing. In response, the Prince of Rohan revealed that he was a very good fighter from the horseback.

"_It is forbidden to harm someone under royal protection in those lands!_" a voice cried out behind Théodred, and he moved Silvermoon aside at the sound of hooves. Amory mistook it for a sign of weakness, but paid for it only moments later as Éowyn aimed well and actually managed to hit the small opening for his eyes in the helmet with the round shield. Thanks to her own horse galloping, the force was so powerful and unexpected that Armory lost his balance, and Théodred used the pommel of his own sword to knock the landed knight out of the saddle. The weight of the whole armor made sure that the landing was less than pleasant as a group of Rohirrim arrived, capturing Armory and binding his hands behind the back.

"Thank you, Éowyn, that was well done to slam him half senseless," Théodred smiled at his younger cousin, who clearly was happy over the praise. Then he excused himself and hurried back to Edoras. Elia had to learn that the danger was over.

Éomer had not been surprised at all, when Elia threw herself off the mare and snarched Aegon out of his arms, then running off to where Rhaenys last had been seen by her. There had been honest terror in her face, showing that this likely was not the first time someone might have tried to kill her.

"Elia!"

This time it was Théodred who arrived in a hurry.

"She took her children and went up to Meduseld, cousin! I would not be surprised if she have blocked the door to her chamber, just to keep her children safe from that man," Éomer told the older prince, who nodded and then requested him to take care of Silvermoon while he went to find his father first. King Théoden needed to know what had happened, and Elia likely needed some time alone with her children to calm down from the terror she had hinted at.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

Éomund was father of Éomer and Éowyn, and the husband of Théodwyn, sister of Théoden. In the year TA 3002, he was slain pursuing a band of Orcs towards the Emyn Muil, a eastern part of Rohan. Éomer was 11 and Éowyn 7 at the time their father died.

And yes, that was a foreshadowing of Éowyn being a future shield maiden and protector of her relatives.

Before any of you says that Elia should not have fled at the sight of Amory, please remember that it is only roughly a month in-story since Elia, Rhaenys and Aegon almost met their canon fates. She is a mother to two small children in a foreign country, not a warrior princess ready to defend herself with a sword of her own


	7. Chapter 7

**To defend**

"Father!" Théodred called, rushing up the steps to Meduseld. King Théoden had noticed the chaos through a window, seeing his men drag a bound person through the gate to Edoras and away to the house serving as a prison.

"What is going on? I saw that lady Elia rushed to her chamber with her children, and that she seemed terrified out of her mind…"

"**That man tried to actually attack Elia! Possibly even killing her!**"

Alright, Théodred had not meant to raise his voice like that, and clearly not against his own father, but Théoden understood that his son was worried about the woman under his protection and was worried about her, especially given how Elia had reacted.

"Calm down, son. She will not react well if you seem like you are about to shout at her. And the children would be scared as well."

Taking a deep breath, Théodred tried to calm down. It would do no good if he could not think with a clear head.

"Let me deal with this man, son, and care for those who are under your protection. If he tried to harm them in the past, then he shall be punished for it according to our laws. And trying to harm those under royal protection are not something he will escape either."

Pushing him slightly in the back, Théoden made his son towards the chamber where Elia and her children had gone. The King already had a plan for dealing with this unknown man who had been taken by the guards. His son and heir would not have to take part of this, Théodred knew of the harsher parts of life but Théoden wanted to make it clear for everyone that not even foreigners were excluded from the laws that would prevent crime in Rohan.

"Make sure to reward Éowyn later, father, she was the one to knock the man off his horse by surprise and made it easier for the guards to catch him!" Théodred called before his father left Meduseld. A quick handwave over the shoulder showed that that the King of Rohan had heard.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

At the same time, Mereliss had managed to make Elia open the door. She could see that the black-haired woman was terrified, holding her children tightly to herself. Even if she could not speak the same language, Elia did understand that Mereliss was worried for her. The memories what had happened in King's Landing was still horrible, and to know just how close they had been to death, had not Théodred arrived to save them...

"Mama, what happened?" Rhaenys wondered, feeling how tightly her mother held her and Aegon. It reminded her of that time, when that giant monster chased them. What had happened to make her mother so terrified again?

"Elia?"

This time it was Théodred who came inside. Almost at once, Aegon tried to totter over to him, and this time Elia had no strength to protest when her son reached out for Théodred.

"Papa!"

Mereliss gave her prince a questioning look over what the toddler said, and the side glance she got in return, spoke enough of that Aegon might confuse Théodred with his real father due to his young age. Oh well, a such young child could not be expected to know much difference between adults who looked similar, that would be difficult.

"Elia, my father will ensure that man will not hurt you or the children again."

She understood the meaning, not all the words but the soothing tone of his voice, and she nodded while trying to stop crying.

Meanwhile, Théoden and his personal guards had arrived to the place in Edoras where a prison had been built. Two stable grooms was already checking over the horse the unknown man had ridden. Proving to be a bad-tempered animal, perhaps triggered on by the mares who was in heat not far away, the stallion did not make the examination any easier by biting and kicking. The head stable groom was glancing at the stallion for the bleeding bite in his hand.

"My King, this courser is a truly bad-tempered one. Had it been one of our own horses, I would have ordered it to become a gelding because this is not a temper anyone would want to be passed down to future foals. Being a horse of unknown pedigree from outside Rohan and not brought over by any of the few horse-breeders we trusts from beyond our borders, we would not know other possible bad traits or qualities it could pass down to future offspring."

Théoden nodded, he might be King but even he knew the basic of horse breeding. It was risky to bring in a unknown horse into the lines somewhere, especially a horse that risked to pass down undesirable traits into the horses born and bred in Rohan for generations. The rare horses imported from Gondor to add in new blood was requested to have a known pedigree, bred at trusted horse breeders, and a list of favorable traits to pass down to the foals.

"Do so, and quickly before the day is over. We would not have him chase after the mares in the stable next-door."

They heard furious yelling from the prison, and what sounded like one or two guards beating up the prisoner to make him quiet down.

"Sire, the man have been shouting threats at us from the moment he got the gag off. While we do not understand his words, we believe that he is demanding to see lady Elia or possibly that a employer of his will not be pleased over this treatment."

The guards had gone through the saddle bags, and found a letter with a unknown seal. In fact it was the letter from Tywin Lannister summoning Amory to war against the Targaryens, but the people of Rohan could not know that little detail. As far as they knew, and with the letter being written in a unknown language, it could very well be a proof of that someone wanted Elia and her children dead.

"My King?"

Théoden gave his judgment right there, because as far as he could see, the small family under his son's protection was in danger. That Théodred had needed to use his sword in a fight in order to give Elia time to escape back to Edoras without getting harmed, proved yet another evidence on that this man was a hired killer.

"Bring him to End Life and have _**Widowmaker **_ensure that this man will not be able to leave Rohan alive."

End Life was the common name of the execution site outside Edoras, named so for that criminals in Rohan often met their end there. And when the King gave an execution order as he had done today, it was meant to be carried out as soon as possible.

"Tywin Lannister will crush your worthless Lord and his family just like the Reyne-Tarbeck revolt! Blood shall be spilled, the end of a noble name!"

As far as Amory cared, this poorly-built keep and the houses around was the lands of no important name in Westeros, and they would be no match for the troops of House Lannister. But the city guards of Edoras ignored his threats, they had a order to carry out from the King.

"Bind him!"

They forcefully stripped him naked of all clothing expect for the leggings, and no less than eight strong horses was chained to his hands and feet. When Amory realized that this was no joke, that he really was going to be executed, he panicked.

"**No...NO, NO, NO! PLEASE STOP!**"

But the Rohirrim did not show any mercy, because by attacking Théodred in his attempt to catch Elia Amory had also made himself guilty of attempted regicide. And this was the punishment for those who attacked the House of Eorl with the intend to kill one of its members.

By making the horses gallop in high speed with their riders on, Amory was brutally pulled apart under unimaginable agony, feeling how his tensions was tearing apart by the strength by the eight horses, for they were bred for strength and speed. Then, his right leg and left arm was ripped apart from his body, followed by his other leg.

"Are he dead yet?"

"No, he still breaths, if only just," one of the guards confirmed after a quick checking on whatever Amory had died from the bloodloss.

"Then give way for Widowmaker!"

Widowmaker was the name of a massive gold champagne-coloured stallion with very dark brown mane and tail, a destrier-alike horse with strong legs and wide hooves, making him ideal for a special type of execution Rohan did for those who was a danger to the royal family.

Amory was gasping for breath, when he saw the massive stallion be led up to him. Then on a sign of his groom, Widowmaker rose high with the front legs in the air and crushed Amory's chest from the impact and weight of the strength of those hooves. Again the stallion reared and brought down its hooves on the human below on the ground, this was far from the first execution it had taken part of and while well-trained, the trainer had taught Windowmaker to make at least one rear, just in case the criminal was not killed by the first impact.

"Well done, Widowmaker. You always prove why you earned that name already as a half-grown foal when you kicked your first victim in the head and made the wife a widow."

With Amory dead, the dismembered body was pulled away to be placed in a unmarked grave just outside the execution site, as if he had been one among the smallfolk in Westeros he had dismissed as unimportant under his life.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Trusting his men to be able to deal with the execution without his presence, Théoden personally searched through the armory after a fitting gift for his niece as reward for her courage and helping her cousin.

"I knew that it was still here, after so many years," the King smiled at finding what he had been looking for.

A training sword, once used by his sister Théodwyn in her adolescence. Now it would be passed down to her own daughter, and eventually replaced by a real sword when Éowyn would come of age in eight years. Surely his niece would be joyful at getting something which once belonged to her mother, for Théoden knew that she sometimes still missed them, even after three years.

Back inside Meduseld:

"Cousin? We asked the kitchen maids for something calming to drink, I think Elia might need it," Éomer said, when he and his sister showed up in the doorway, Éowyn holding a steel tray with one goblet and two smaller cups of wood.

"We fixed some warm milk for Rhaenys and Aegon as well."

Éowyn was proud of her steady hold of the tray, managing to place it on a small table near the bed so it would not be tripped over. Elia and her children welcomed their drinks when they was offered.

"Thank you," Rhaenys said at being given her cup, though Aegon needed some help from Théodred to hold his smaller cup steady in both hands or he would only get the milk all over his tunic.

"Éowyn? Are you here?" they all heard the King call for his niece.

"Here, uncle!"

The princess of Rohan hurried out from the chamber, it could very well be that her uncle wanted this without anyone else present.

It did not take long, before she was returning, grinning in pride and with a training sword in her hands.

"Brother, uncle gave me this training sword for helping Théodred defend Elia from that man! He said that it once belonged to our mother before she came of age and was gifted a real sword as sign of becoming a adult!"

"Our mother?"

Éomer had not seen the sword before, but Théodred did recognize it, if only as a very faint memory from his own early childhood. How his aunt once had shown him how to hold a small wooden sword properly, and then shown some basic movements with exactly that sword Éowyn now owned.

"A fine gift, and something to feel a connection to your mother with," the prince of Rohan smiled at his younger cousins, as Éomer tested the weight of the sword. He was at the limit to be able to wear it good because it clearly had been made with the body build and strength of a young girl in mind, but his sister would have a good use of the training sword for several years as she grew up into a young woman.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

author note:

A courser is a swift and strong horse, frequently used during the Middle Ages as a warhorse. It was ridden by knights and men-at-arms, I thought it would be logical for Amory to have a such horse, being a knight

Regicide is is the deliberate killing of a monarch, or the person responsible for the killing of a person of royalty. So by trying to kill Théodred, Amory did not just try to attack a person under royal protection, but also the Crown prince of Rohan

A gold champagne horse is a chestnut horse affected by the champagne dilution. It resembles a palomino with a metallic sheen, but can be discerned from a true palomino by its pink, usually speckled, skin

and yes, the coat colour of Widowmaker is meant to be a hint to the golden spear on the sigil of House Martell, and the desert of Dorne, as well having a build inspired by the American Cream Draft horses


	8. Chapter 8

_**Long-distance travelers**_

The week following the reminder of that Tywin Lannister most likely wanted her and her children dead in order to place his own daughter in the role of a Queen of Westeros, was not that easy for Elia. It was clear that she had been in danger, and the common people of Edoras wondered why.

"Could it be that it is her husband who have commited a crime, that is so serious that the whole family risks being executed regardless of age?"

"Or maybe a blood feud, and she was drawn into it when marrying her husband?"

By the laws of Rohan, blood feuds was forbidden because it was viewed as a waste of lives and would only create distrust between families for generations. No, it was far better with the use of weregild, since that prevented such things, and helped to keep the peace.

Still, since everything pointed towards Elia and her two small children being victims, the common people felt sorry for the small family. What could have made them arrive in Rohan, with no idea for how they would be treated as foreigners?

Elia, on the other hand, did not know about what the commoners wondered about her background and why she had been attacked. Rhaenys and Aegon was cared for by the house maids for the moment, as Elia had wanted to do some sewing in peace. Right now she was making the finishing touch of an embroidery where she had sewn the sigil of House Martell, a golden spear impaling a red sun on an orange field, made by her using a tabby-woven linen cloth which had been dried orange with yellow onion skins and then using thin wool yarn which had been dried red with madder and yellow with chamomile.

Beneath the sigil, she had used a white thread to create the words Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken. It was to remind herself of what she wanted to return to, her homeland Dorne and birth family, far away from the Targaryen royals and anything else which had with the Iron Throne to do.

"Are you sewing on something, Elia?"

It was Théodred who asked. Based on the tear at the end of his tunic, he likely had came here to find some needle and thread to sew it together. Even the men here in Rohan, from the commoners to the royal family, knew the basics of sewing, because it was a very useful skill to know.

"The sigil of my House. Like the white horse for Rohan," she explained, pointing towards a long banner with the white horse on a green background to show what she meant.

"Your homeland? Is it very far from here?"

"It is called Dorne. And yes...very, very far from here."

She could not hide her homesickness, from the way she hesitated slightly before answering. But Théodred understood, he had been in Gondor a few times under his life so far and knew that he was one of those persons who could not stand being away from his own homeland for long. As a fully grown adult, it was only natural that Elia would have more difficult to adjust than her children.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

The following day, Elia were once again kept busy in the role of being a mother to two toddlers close in age. Now when Aegon had truly mastered to walk, he was proving himself very determined to try to run. And with Rhaenys sort of encouraging her little brother to follow her as a little duckling, that meant two children to keep a eye on.

"Rhaenys! Aegon! Come back here, at once!"

This afternoon, the little family of three found themselves behind Meduseld, where less houses was built because the hill where Edoras was built, did slope more there and where the sun only touched early in the morning.

"Na, na, na, ma!" Aegon babbled, somehow managing to run past Rhaenys by gravity indirectly helping him since he had aimed towards the open gate in the wooden palisade.

"Oh, taking after uncle Oberyn already, you little rascal?" Elia said out aloud, trying to reach her son before he got though the gate.

"Aegon is escaping, mom!"

Théoden heard the voices coming closer, and from how they sounded, it had not been planned that they would come here. He placed the Simbelmynë flower on the grave mound of his late wife Elfhild, as he had done every year since her death in childbirth. Today would have been her birthday, had she still lived.

"Our son was your greatest gift to me, and yet he was also bound to be the last…"

A small shriek was heard, and little Argon found himself tripping into one of the other grave mounds for Théoden's predecessors as King of Rohan, though the toddler did not start crying, only looking mildly confused over the white flowers in front of him. Not far behind, did his mother and sister arrive in a hurry.

"Aegon! I told you not to run….oh!"

Elia became silent in her scolding of Aegon at spotting the King, and quickly sank into a curtsy to show her respect for him, Rhaenys hiding behind her mother.

"Théoden kyneg."

It felt strange to use the personal name of a King before the title, but Elia wanted to use the customs of Rohan while she was there. This way, she felt less like she did not belong there.

"Please rise."

Théoden was not angry at them for coming here. Instead he looked once again on where Elfhild had been buried.

"You remind me of her, my Elfhild. She was another woman such as yourself, not blessed with the strongest of health from birth yet had a will of survival to adulthood. I met her soon after coming of age, and we eventually found love despite that everyone else told me to choose another woman to be Queen at my side when I became King, for people feared that her fragile health would not allow a successful childbirth. After our marriage she wanted nothing else than giving me a heir, and prayed to the Valar to be blessed with child."

His eyes showed the grief over Elfhild as some of the memories must come up to the surface.

"_Théodred would have been our third child, had she not lost his older siblings in two miscarriages…_"

Elia did not understand all the words, but Théoden's manner of speaking and body language told her enough. It was the exact way her own father had spoken about her mother, the Princess of Dorne who had been the ruler of their homeland before her brother Doran until only a few months before she had married Rhaegar. The heavy grief of losing a beloved spouse.

"_**No mother should have to give up her own life for her child to be born…**_"

Death in childbirth was common, but Théoden had never dreamt of losing his beloved wife in that way. Not until the horrible reality had been in front of his very eyes, and Elfhild begging him in a thin whisper to raise Théodred into a Prince worthy of being a future King of Rohan despite that she would not be able to help him in the tasks of parenthood, as her eyes had tried to see both her husband and their newborn son in her arms. She had given up her final breath not long after a tearful smile at the sound of the newborn Théodred screaming as proof of being alive.

"Théoden King!" a guard suddenly called from the hill, "a group of merchants arriving to Edoras, led under Laith Al-Amin from Near Harad!"

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Théodred was among the people who welcomed the long-travelled marchants, coming all the way from the distant south for trade.

"Laith! It have been a while since I last saw you, your family business going well?"

The Haradrim merchant, dressed in the ankle-long, long-sleeved garment called kandora by the people living in the desert of southern Harad, grinned at seeing the Prince of Rohan. It could have been some similarity between him and Elia for those who rarely saw strangers, bit was mostly the black hair and eyes, with their skin tones being not really the same. Elia had a dark tan with a golden undertone, while Laith had a more reddish undertone.

"Indeed it is going well, Prince Théodred. It is good to see you again after a few years," he responded in a slightly broken Westron, for it was not his native language. Laith Al-Amin belonged to a family of merchants from Near Harad that had been doing trade with Rohan for a few generations, being the main deliverers of spices and other goods not found in the land of the Horse-lords at all. As the oldest son, it had been natural for him to take over the family business after his father.

Dismounting from their horses, but still keeping close to the wooden boxes in which they transported their precious goods, Laith and his fellow travellers accepted a offer of bread and salt as a sign of hospitality.

"It is actually good that you showed up, Laith, for there is something I hope that you might be able to help with…"

Théodred did not get to say more, before Aegon and Rhaenys showed up, shoving themselves between the legs of the adults. Elia was heard somewhere behind, requesting to be let though so she could catch her children. But in that angle, with the sun slightly blocked by the much taller adults, Aegon's hair seemed more golden platinum than the Targaryen silver blonde.

"Papa!"

And of course, the innocent comment which came from Aegon, not helped when he happy hugged Théodred's leg in a greeting as he always did to the Prince in the mornings, could only cause Théodred a incoming headache for the misunderstanding that was bound to happen. And Rhaenys' black curls was very alike to how the House of Eorl normally would inherit curly hair from their ancestors, with Théodred himself being a rare exception with his own straight hair.

"Did you break with tradition about the earlier Queens born outside Rohan and wed a lady who has her family origins from Harad? Did she hail from Linhir, I know that is one of the most southern towns of Gondor...Last time I visited here, you had only visited Gondor, right?" Laith asked in surprise at seeing the two children, not knowing that they and their mother actually was from another world and that was a mere coincidence that they were still young enough to have been sired by Théodred a few years earlier, had they really been his offspring.

"_**No.**_ No, I have still not married yet, so they are _**NOT**_ mine," Théodred muttered in Rohirric under his breath, gently pushing Aegon towards Rhaenys so they could find Elia. Best to explain this misunderstanding as soon as possible, because otherwise Elia could find herself in a situation she should not have to deal with while being under his protection.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

The Saxons had a system called 'weregild', which meant that if you injured someone, you had to pay for the damage. If a person killed someone, they paid money to the dead person's relatives. The idea was to stop long fights or 'blood feuds' between families by making them pay money instead.

some of the natural dries to use is madder for red and chamomile for yellow, but yellow onion skins can create a vast colour from orange to yellow as well

Neither one of Elia's parents are named in canon, and we only know a few details about her mother like that she likely died before the marriage of Elia to Rhaegar in early 280 AC

Elfhild was the wife of King Théoden, who died in childbirth, leaving Théoden a widower and the newborn Théodred motherless. At the time of the War of the Ring in 3018, Rohan had been without a queen for forty years.

Since Tolkien only wrote down the date and manner in which Elfhild died, I wanted to create some sort of background for her. Théoden was 30 years old when she died, so if he had married Elfhild somewhere in his 20s, that would have given them some years together as a married couple while struggling to have a child

Laith is a male Arabic name meaning "the powerful lion," while Al-Amin means "the truthful"


	9. Chapter 9

_**A missing Princess and her children**_

King's Landing, a few days after that Elia, Rhaenys and Aegon had been saved by Théodred:

"**What do you good-for-nothing soldiers mean, you **_**still **_**have not found them?!**"

Robert Baratheon was not happy with the news that despite the confirmed death of King Aerys II Targaryen by the hands of Jaime Lannister, princess Elia and her two children had gone missing not long after that the Sack of King's Landing had started.

"Robert, she would have sought a place to hide…"

At his side, Eddard Stark tried to make his friend not doing anything hasty.

"I want her _**dragonspawn**_ dead, both of them! Rhaegar shall have his bloodline wiped out, I swear that..."

"_**ROBERT!**_ **PRINCESS RHAENYS IS ONLY ONE YEAR YOUNGER THAN **_**MYA**_**!**"

Robert stopped walking for a moment, actually looking shocked at the mention of his bastard daughter in the Vale. Eddard took the chance to verbally ham in the deeper impact of his words:

"Would you have liked the news of Aerys using spies to find Mya and killing her for being your daughter, despite being innocent and being born on the wrong side of the marriage bed?! That is the exact same fate you plan for Elia's children, except that she is a legal wife, and that would make Dorne see you as an enemy, even if you were to allow her to live!"

That seemed to be the right kind of words in this moment, for Robert actually looked a bit ashamed.

"...when they are found, bring all three of them to me, alive. I will show mercy to Elia by sending her son to the Wall and her daughter to the motherhouse in Oldtown. That way, they will be allowed to live but not able to make a claim to the Iron Throne, while Elia can return to Dorne with the knowledge of that they are not dead. "

It was not exactly what Eddard wanted Robert to do with the widowed Princess and her children, but it was an small improvement over having the small princess and prince murdered for who their father had been.

"Oi, Kingslayer! Where is that green cloak your old man's overgrown brute to knight mentioned?" Robert snapped at Jamie Lannister, who just arrived though a side door.

"Near the Iron Throne…"

Jaime found himself shoved aside, for despite the injuries he had suffered in the Battle of the Trident, Robert was still strong as a bull.

The green cloak was indeed laying on the steps to the Iron Throne, and based on the look on the face of Tywin Lannister when they arrived, he really was not happy for whatever reason.

"I have had the lists of noble names checked, and _nowhere_ in the Seven Kingdoms is there a House whose banner is a green field with a white horse."

That was a bit alarming, to be honest.

"Maybe a hedge knight who have gotten into the service of House Martell to rescue Elia and her children? That way, he could have hidden them somewhere during the sacking and then managing to bring them out during the night..." Eddard suggested, only for Robert to give him a sour glare.

"Ned, she was last seen in the bloody _**godswood**_, which is not close enough to Maegor's Holdfast, and there is no secret passages where which she could have used to escape! Have you seen the walls surrounding the godswood here in the Red Keep? There was guards on the walls there during the sack, they would have seen anyone trying to climb up! Not to mention that Clegane said that the warrior was riding a horse! How do you pull up a warhorse over the wall without anyone noticing?"

Lord Tywin had not spoken a word, only glaring at the cloak as if it had deadly offended him for whatever reason.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

In Dorne, the court of Sunspear:

It was a rare sight to see Oberyn Martell deeply in prayers to the Seven, but the current Prince of Dorne, his older brother Doran, had somehow expected it ever since the letter about that the fates of Elia and her children was still unknown. And even more surprising, the Sand Snakes was there too. Well, all expect for the newest Sandsnake, Sarella, who was only three years old, and her one year younger cousin Quentyn, while their true born cousin Arienne had joined them in prayer.

"Are you all praying for their safety?"

Oberyn looked up at the sound of the voice of his brother.

"Yes, brother. We thought that if we prayed together, the prayer would be even strong than of of us praying alone."

Doran nodded in understanding, he had prayed himself not long ago this very morning, pleading with the Gods to let Elia and her children be safe.

"Can you walk with me for a little bit, Oberyn? You can return later."

Once they arrived to the solar, the two brothers got more serious.

"Whoever it is that saved our sister, niece and nephew, it clearly is far better news that what we feared."

"Yes. If it is a hedge knight keeping true to his vows, to defend the innocent, then we must reward him if he manages to bring all three of them here."

Together they looked over a map of Westeros, trying to calculate how long it would take to travel by land from King's Landing to Dorne since very few merchant ships would be near a battle place as the capital.

"I will send a messenger to House Dayne. They, together with the smallfolk of Starfall, should be able to keep a eye out for any travellers. Ashara is familiar with Elia and remained with her as a lady-in-waiting until that she was sent away by Aerys."

As Doran spoke, Oberyn looked on the map of Dorne again. If they indeed were to reward the savior of Elia, Rhaenys and Aegon properly, the two Princes of Dorne had to plan various possibilities. Maybe all that was desired a employment, maybe some funds to start a family or some lands to call his own.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Not many days later, in Starfall:

"Damn that Northern Wolf for placing a bastard in my belly despite that he should have used his common sense and wed lady Catelyn Tully so she would carry his legal heir, before running off to save his sister!"

The far from gentle words came from the mouth of Raya Rivers, a bastard daughter of House Blackwood, as she laboured to bring out a new life into the world. She had gotten pregnant by Brandon Stark on his way to King's Landing, and fled to Dorne when the Rebellion had started, using her few saved coins to buy a place on a ship which had stopped at Starfall.

"Yes, yes. I nearly fell for that wolf charms as well, but can you try to push instead of screaming?" Ashara requested in a tired voice. Wylla had told her to help in the birthing chamber, to get a taste of what awaited a woman in the battle to give birth, but right now it was not looking good, even she could tell it:

Raya had lost a lot of strength, as her baby refused to leave the womb no matter how much she tried to get her or him out from her body.

"No, this can not go on. Raya, I hate to say this, but you must make a choice, either we save your own life or that of your babe."

Wylla was serious, she served as a midwife for the locals around Starfall and knew all the signs of complications. This was the third day Raya was in labour, now losing more and more strength as nothing had changed since midday two days ago.

"Get my babe to Eddard Stark, or bloody use it to swap out the dragonspawn I am sure that Rhaegar bloody Targaryen must have sired on that she-wolf during the time he was missing from the royal court! I may be a bastard born to a serving girl, but I know the tale of the Blackfyres! If that silver-haired pig have a son not born to his Dornish wife, I am not surprised if the High Lords will view the brat as a new Daemon Blackfyre! And a daughter would be haunted by people who tries to use her as a bride, someone to give birth to a undesired claimant to the throne!"

Well, that was a good summary of what would happen, if Lyanna Stark indeed was carrying a bastard child of Rhaegar Targaryen. No matter which gender, the very birth would be a disaster for the peace.

"And a name?" Wylla asked as she put a large dagger in a small kettle with boiling water, then prepared an overdose of painkillers that would stop Raya's heart before cutting up her stomach to save the unborn baby.

"_Jon Snow_ for a boy, and _Alysanne Snow_ for a daughter, for I could at least name the father even if he is dead and unable to acknowledge my child. Both are enough common names among smallfolk and Lords that no one would raise an eyebrow over it."

"Miss Ashara. Please go out and find some soft cotton blankets to wrap the baby inside, you shall not have to see this."

She nodded, already feeling sick at imagining all the blood that would soon cover the bed

Once gathering some soft blankets, Ashara looked towards the Red Mountains, a anger filling her blood when thinking of what she had seen in a Myrish spyglass only the very day before:

A single tower normally used to hold prisoners, but now guarded by three knights in white armour. And with three members of the Kingsguard not having followed Rhaegar back from wherever he had been, the guess was not too hard. Lyanna Stark was held in that tower by orders from the prince, most likely pregnant if his obsession with having three children was true. And with Elia having given birth to Rhaenys and Aegon, there was one possible name left for that daughter Rhaegar likely hoped that she would give birth to; Visenya.

"_Damn you Arthur! Damn you for not knocking some common sense into that royal dreamer's head so none of this could have happened! Why did you not instead suggest to dethrone Aerys when it was a better choice to do?! Thanks to that idiotic prince, House Targaryen is basically removed as a royal house and now replaced with House Baratheon! _"

Doran was correct in that Ashara was very loyal to Elia, and she would not hesitate to prevent that third child from entering the world alive, or at least prevent it from living longer than a hour.

Wylla had also watched in the spyglass to see if she could spot Lyanna in the window, and guessed that the wolf-maid would not have many days left before she would enter the birthing bed too. With Starfall not far away, Arthur would likely ask Wylla to act as a midwife, and if Ashara dressed up like one of the apprentice midwife and brought Raya's child with them hidden in a basket, if her babe lived, it would be easier to swap the two cousins.

When she returned, Wylla was already finished with the operation, laid a sheet over the still body of Raya and now washing a wailing baby in another bowl with warm water.

"Well, the current Lord Eddard Stark have gotten a nephew, it seems."

Jon Snow, huh? Well, it did not matter. The bastard son of Brandon would be useful for their scheme to restore Rhaenys and Aegon into the position as the only children Rhaegar had sired, on his legal wife Elia Martell. They would never have to deal with the danger a bastard half-sibling could mean in the long run.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

Mya Stone is the first child of Robert Baratheon, born in either 279 or 280 according to the ASOIAF wiki, to a commoner of the Vale. I made Ned mention Mya here to make Robert realize that Rhaenys and Aegon are innocent children just like her

A motherhouse is a monastic community of the Faith of the Seven for septas and silent sisters, similar to a convent.

A hedge knight is a wandering knight without a master. Hedge knights travel the length and breadth of the Seven Kingdoms looking for gainful employment.

Rivers is the surname given to bastards in the Riverlands, and Raya was borrowed from the name of the the third daughter of Lord Cregan Stark and Lady Alysanne Blackwood.

Yes, I fully admit it. I am NOT a fan of the R+L=J theory, because not only was Lyanna a teenager when Rhaegar ran away with her despite him being a married father of two children, he had already humiliated Elia at the Tourney of Harrenhal by crowning Lyanna as the Queen of Love and Beauty despite her being promised in marriage to Robert and basically threw Elia away like a unwanted ragdoll when he learnt that she was unable to have a third child after nearly dying at giving birth to Aegon


	10. Chapter 10

**A mystery**

Mereliss had been the one to explain for Elia about the misunderstanding from Laith Al-Amin about her children, and the Dornish princess felt very sorry for Théodred.

Sure, Aegon seemed to mistake the Prince of Rohan as his father which could be excused due to his young age, all thanks to Rhaegar running off to Summerhall only days after that Aegon had been born, when he had gotten the news that the childbirth had left her unable to have a third child and then the small family barely meeting Rhaegar in the Red Keep at all before the Targaryen Prince had left King's Landing for meet his death at the hands of Robert Baratheon, but surely people did not mistake her son to be his because Aegon had silver-blonde hair!?

"Somehow...it feels like this might not be the only time this misunderstanding could happen…" she thought for herself while washing off herself together with Mereliss, Éowyn and a few other ladies at court in a bath house a bit away from Edoras. It was going to be a welcoming feast for the merchants from Near Harad, and as such they needed to look their best.

The bath house was made of wood and were large enough for three rooms, and while not exactly the standard of a bath house which Elia was used to from her life in Dorne, the bath house was connected to the bakery though a set of iron pipes so the water was heated up by the warmth from the ovens. The first room was where they had undressed and let a trusted maid watch the clothes, the middle room was meant for washing off and the largest room, more or less directly connected to the bakery by sharing a wall, was where they had a warm bath in a large wooden tub.

At least this did not request servant girls to run up and down the stairs with large jugs filled with warm water to fill up a bath in a big half-barrel lined with cloth to avoid splinters, like how it had been done on Dragonstone. For all of the supposed glory of being the wife of the Crown prince and that she in theory would be the most powerful woman in Westeros once Rhaegar was crowned as the new king, Elia had never felt like she belonged on Dragonstone, with all the dragon designs on the castle and all of it highlighted the might of Targaryen dynasty. As if there had no room for the spouses who did not share that blood at all. That the people of Westeros was below the Targaryen dynasty for making them the royal family over all the Seven Kingdoms.

"Come on, Elia, the feast starts soon and we need to dress!" Éowyn said, finishing drying her hair with a linen towel. Well, Rhaenys and Aegon was being bathed together by the household maids up in her guest room, so Elia did not need to think of her children for now.

"Ah…"

Suddenly, as she just had finished dressing into her linen chemise, Elia was reminded of something which did had not been uncommon among the women of Dorne but which was likely going to stand out among the adult women of Edoras:

Despite giving birth to two children with only fifteen months between them in age, Elia had felt that the biggest change was in her now wider hips and a less flat stomach, her bosom size had not exactly "bloomed" much even when she had personally nursed Rhaenys during the first days after the childbirth and the same with Aegon.

"We can add in some padding on _**strategic places**_ on the dress if you would like," Mereliss offered, mistaking Elia's unhappy face for something else. Éowyn were still several years too young to want testing that and thus had no clue what the two adults was talking about. Elia shook her head once she figured out what the midwife had spoken, she had once gotten similar suggestions for the wedding dress she wore in the wedding ceremony where she had became Rhaegar's wife in front of all the royal court and she had refused, wanting the Lords to be reminded that not all women were blessed with a big bosom size or hips that was good in childbirth.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

As much as she liked to be in Meduseld and Edoras, Rhaenys still felt that something was missing from the current life her mother, brother and herself was living. She did have Balerion despite that the black kitten often enjoyed to be in the stables and thus smelled as such when he returned to play with her, so it was not him she missed. Not Dragonstone or the Red Keep either, for Meduseld had a far more caring atmosphere.

No, it was her "aunt" Ashara and the other Dornish court ladies of Elia, that Rhaenys missed. She recalled how they had been told to board a different ship when her family had been ordered to come to the royal court, by that scary old man on that tall throne Ser Barristan had claimed to be her grandfather.

"Rhae?" Aegon asked, confused over why his sister seemed to be quiet for now.

"I am fine, baby brother," she said, distracting him with a tickle attack which made Aegon shriek in joy just as their mother returned in a yellow-coloured dress which brought out her beauty in Rhaenys' eyes.

"Mama, you are so pretty!"

"Then we must thank those who worked to create the dress, Rhaenys. Mereliss, what did you say the fabric was dyed with?"

"Weld flowers, my lady. And this is dyed with woad," Mereliss spoke, holding up a blue dress which was for Rhaenys. Aegon was to be dressed in a tunic dyed green with chamomile leaves. She thought it good that Elia asked about the colours, for that meant that she learned more words to make herself understood with.

As they were seated at a lower table, mainly to keep Rhaenys and Aegon close to the guest chamber when it was time for their bedtime, Elia noticed that there was more cooking pots than normally, but then this was a small feast for their guests, of course it would be something different.

On the other hand, there was something very different among the food today. It seemed to be a sort of root vegetable, but the yellow colour was not really what Elia had seen on carrots before. And it was not round in the same manner as a beet, or the right colour. The colour was too yellow to be a butternut pumpkin, so it could not be that kind of pumpkin, as far as Elia knew.

"Mm-m!"

At least Aegon seemed to like it after a first taste, using his spoon to almost shove the food into his mouth. Elia had to gently stop her son from making himself choke, while Rhaenys was encouraged by her little brother enjoying the strange food. The taste of the crop was not too bad, Elia decided, though she was happy to take more of the spinach, green beans and and lettuce salad since leafy greens was one of the foods she knew that her stomach would not be upset by.

"Perhaps I can try making some bread at some time…"

Flatbreads made on only flour, water and salt was the breads she generally preferred to eat in Dorne, since heavy breads and dishes heavy based on meat and dairy would give her a upset stomach.

Still for now, she would try and enjoy what she could eat of what was offered at the table.

With the royal family seated together at the high table, Éowyn carefully poked her brother on the arm to get his attention at spotting something she knew to be unusual, then pointed towards Elia.

"Do you think this might be the first time she tastes potatoes?" she whispered, before using her knife to cut up one of her own potatoes on the plate and pretending as if she had been eating all the time.

"Possibly. Remember what Théodred told us? That the lands in the south does not have the right soil for potatoes to grow, so they are used to different foods. As a adult, lady Elia would likely be used to the food she have grown up with, while her two children are still young enough to grow accustomed to our foods if they will end up staying here for a longer period," Éomer agreed, taking more of the lamb stew a servant had just placed close to him.

Since Théodred and their uncle was busy with their guests, the siblings were able to look around in the great hall of Meduseld. That was a unspoken task, to try and spot possible trouble before it went beyond control. A lot of people and drinking was not the best way to things remaining quiet all evening.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Thanks to the feast, it was only the following morning as Théodred managed to speak with Laith Al-Amin about something he hoped that the merchant might be able to at least offer help in.

"So your current theory is that her husband did something which pulled his whole family in danger of death?"

While the prince of Rohan could not offer much information outside what he knew and what had been hinted so far during Elia's stay in Edoras, Laith was not exactly impressed with the various possibilities that could have caused her to end up in Rohan.

"As much as I hate to say, it, there have been cases where a married woman found out that her husband had been tempered by promises of wealth, power and immortal life from the _**Abhorred Dread**_ and that she was slain to keep silent about what she had found."

Théodred did not need to ask who Laith meant. With the the fear of what was in Mordor, and with orcs showing up at the borders more often…

"**Sauron.**"

Was that the danger Elia and her children had tried to escape from when he met her? An unnatural huge assassin dressed up as a soldier of Gondor, n the hope of trying to mask her death as caused by Gondor by a random accident or honest murder and thus getting a "justified" reason to create a war in the future?

"Anyway, I hope that you might be able to help searching for her birth family. If her husband ordered her to be murdered it might be better for her to return to her parents…"

Théodred held up the embroidered sigil of House Martell Elia had done earlier that week.

"She said something about that her homeland is called Dorne, so if she is a high-ranked lady married off for a alliance of some kind, I doubts that her husband would not get much support in war or some other activity from his in-laws over his actions towards his wife and children."

Laith looked close at the embroidery. A gold spear piercing a red sun on orange background? It was not a sigil he knew from his travels as a merchant, but his hometown and base of business was in Near Harad, not Far Harad. As far as he could guess, Dorne might be the name of a newly created realm somewhere, perhaps by nobles and people who did not want to fall under the spells of Sauron in fear of that it would not be worth all the possible troubles it could mean for their families.

"I will try and create a portrait of the lady and her children with the water colours I brought along and then ask my own wife to make more copies when I returns home, so my servants and fellow merchants can spread the word on their travels. It could be that they are missing from their homeland, indeed, and possibly been searched for by her birth family if her husband abandoned them. Perhaps she was stolen away to make it seem like she betrayed her marriage vows, and was dumped in a unfamiliar place where no one would know her."

In Near Harad, murdering a wife was a serious crime, especially if she was the mother to the oldest son or another child that was the heir of the father. Not only was the husband destroying his own family by removing his wife in a such brutal way, be it by dagger or poison, but he would also be viewed as untrustworthy around other women who could become the next victim, whether they were a new wife or not.

And claiming that the wife was not loving him anymore or blaming that he had fallen in love with a different woman who showed him all the attention the wife gave to her children instead, was not a legal excuse. Marriage was meant to be lasting until death, a proof of maturity between legal adults. Love was sweet, but it was a dangerous emotion as well because of the emotional chaos that could be created by love.

"Elia is to remain under my protection until that she tells her wish to leave Rohan, be it back to her homeland or any other reason. But she, Rhaenys and Aegon shall not be the ones to suffer for whatever her husband have done."

It was not a oath, but a promise, and that Théodred intended to hold for as long as he could.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

Potatoes might seem like a odd crop to grow in Rohan when they are inspired by Anglo-Saxons, but given that the ancestors to the Rohirrim, called the Éothéod, saw and knew the Hobbits during the Wandering Days, the term used by Hobbits to refer to the centuries-long period of their westward migration from their races' ancestral home somewhere in the wild East, I would not find it strange if potatoes is grown as food in Rohan too.

Besides, with Westeros and Arda being two whole different worlds, I think some major differences would be the food, cultures and people. Tolkien himself only allowed potatoes and tomatoes to be added to his work, none other foods from the New World

A lot of Elia's health problems are most likely related to that she was born one month premature in a world without modern medicines and if she had trouble nursing in the natural way from her mother or wet nurse, there would be no milk formula or baby bottles for her to feed from, so this would mean that she would not get the missing nutritions she lost from not being in the womb under the final month before birth


	11. Chapter 11

_**Family visit**_

The merchant group stayed for two weeks, using that time to sell their goods and to buy items from Rohan that actually was sought-after in the markets in the distant south.

"A very fine set of tapestries, they will most likely be brought by people who want to show off that they can afford this. And the woodcarving of Rohan is famous as well, so they will be sold for a good price."

Laith had kept true to his words and painted a very nice portrait of Elia and her children, when Théodred had explained to her that Laith might be able to help them finding a way back to Dorne. Personally, Elia had her doubts about how useful it would be, but she was not going to turn down the offer of help. She wanted to at least try and get in contact with Doran or Oberyn, to let them know that she and her children was still alive and away from King's Landing, at least.

So she wrote two letters, one addressed to each brother, in the hope of that one of them might reach Dorne so her brothers would know that she was alive and her children too.

"Perhaps the Seven might show some mercy…" Elia thought for herself while allowing Laith to borrow the embroidered image of the sigil of House Martell, on the ground that seeing the sigil of her family might help in the search for her home.

Laith did not mention it to Théodred, but he noticed at once that Elia was using a writing system he had never seen before, and when she spoke a few words in her native language, the words was nothing he heard before. But if she needed help to get home, Laith would do his best to help, and it was not impossible that her homeland simply had been very isolated for long times in history, there was places in Harad that were difficult to travel to and trade with outsiders not done so often. Perhaps her Dorne was one of those places.

"You are longing for your home," Théodred spoke when he found her standing on the stone steps of Meduseld to watch the merchants leave Edoras for the long journey back to their homelands.

"I would love to be back with my two brothers, away from the place you saved me, and see my children play with their cousins without having to fear for their future."

Some of the Common Speech of Westeros had slipped into her words before Elia realized it. He said nothing, but the look on his face revealed some understanding because of the tone of her voice. That he kept his distance as well, gladded Elia. Not out of pure distrust because she no longer trusted men, but Rhaegar's betrayal of their marriage vows for the sake of a bloody prophecy and inability to accept that two children were enough after she almost died to give him a son, had hurt her deeply, both as a wife and a woman. Surely Rhaegar could have realised that his _precious Visenya _could have been a niece sired by Visenys on a good-sister, when his little brother was old enough to marry?!

"Ow, ow! You again?"

The voice of Théodred brought Elia back out of her memories, and she held in a giggle at seeing Balerion using his claws to climb up along the leg of the Prince of Rohan. The black kitten, not so little anymore, had proven himself to actually like the royal family of Rohan in a way that he never had done with Rhaegar.

And the memory of Balerion jumping from the window curtains towards Rhaegar face with all the claws out, was a very sweet one, especially with how he had screamed in surprise at getting his full face blocked by the tiny black furball and Balerion giving him some nice claw marks around his eyes and throat before the kitten was removed. It was just too sad that they had healed without leaving some visible scars…

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Five days later, something different happened:

"Théoden King! A incoming group of riders dressed as the rangers of Ithilien! They are led by Lady Laywyn, my King!"

"Oh, Béma," Théodred muttered for himself when he saw the riders. His oldest fathu had returned to Rohan for a rare family visit. And with her as a ranger, that must mean that things were reasonable peaceful in Ithilien if she left it long enough to be home for a while.

"Dear sons of my brother and youngest sister, how good to see you both in good health!"

Théodred pretended to have forgotten something in the stable and turned around, while Éomer was not fast enough to escape getting caught with her arm around his throat and getting a very firm hug. Despite having only one year left to her sixtieth summer since birth, Laywyn was still strong and tall like her late mother Morwen Steelsheen, the wife and Queen to King Thengel of Rohan.

"_Modrige!_ Let go of me, uncle tasked me with bringing his stallion to the blacksmith for new shoes this forenoon!" Éomer protested loudly, not intending to escape from his aunt but he wanted to finish his task. Laywyn laughed, before letting her only sister-son go.

"Where is your bold sword-wearing sister, hm? I missed her birthday, so I want to see her now."

"Modrige Laywyn!" Éowyn called from the steps of Meduseld, hurrying down even past Théoden, who only smiled at the sight of his niece showing such joy to see her aunt. Aunt and niece hugged each other, Laywin even spinning her sister-daughter around herself to show off her strength.

"Sweostor Lawyn," the King greeted the sole one of his four sisters that was still alive. She, in return, made a curtsy in respect for her brother despite how odd it looked when she was wearing riding pants instead of a dress.

"Brothor Théoden."

The two sisters, past their prime, smiled at each other without meeting to say more words. At their age, they knew the other sibling well enough to not need words to show fondness in front of people.

Théodred had not managed to escape when Laywyn saw him try and sneak past her, and were caught in a similar bear hug as Éomer.

"Still unmarried, brothor-sunu? You should find a nice woman soon, your old feder was already married with sweet Elfhild when he was your age."

Oh, great, as much as his family did not nag about it to him, Théodred knew that as the only child of the King, he could not avoid marriage forever. It was not for a lack of trying or that he was not interested in women, but most of his former possible wives-to-be had eventually fallen in love with other men over time after a short attempt of courtship.

"I am actually not sure what kind of wife I want, aunt…"

That was the plain truth, honestly. And thankfully his father had not shown any displeasure when Théodred had admitted that the search for a future consort was still not going well. Thankfully Laywyn said nothing more about it, and the family members could return to Meduseld for some time together.

Elia had been in the great chamber where the women in Meduseld was doing their sewing and weaving whatever they had a free time from their chores, when she heard some of the maids entering, speaking about what had happened out in the city.

"The King's….sister?" she asked, trying to get the word right as she was not fully sure on the pronunciation.

"No need to worry. Lady Laywin is not as scary as she might seem, unless it is a enemy she is facing with a sword or her bow about to send off a arrow!" Mereliss reassured her, from where the old midwife was busy with her hands on a bigger tapestry which was half-done.

Well, Elia had grown up with tales of her own ancestor Nymeria being a commander for her armies and leading them on the battlefield despite not bearing arms in battle, and there was nothing strange about female warriors in Dorne though it was not that common. And Oberyn had spoken about allowing his bastard daughters to become warriors if they so desired when growing up.

"Still...for it to be so different…"

And here in Rohan, there was nothing strange about women taking up arms to defend their homes and families if the men was away in war or something else, she had found out once she had learned the language a little better and able to ask about the stories on the tapestries since they clearly had some meaning. Mereliss was a gold mine of information, telling Elia of customs and laws in Rohan whatever it was needed.

"Perhaps Rhaenys would be able to learn to wield weapons here, together with Aegon...if we stays here for more than a year…."

While Elia herself had always been too frail for joining into weapon training at Sunspear, she had still managed to learn how to use a dagger in defense. Not that great of a weapon, true, but it was better than being all defenseless, as her mother had explained as the reason to why insisting that Elia would learn something at least.

"Lady Elia, the King and his family would like you to meet his sister," a maid called, before taking over the task of ensuring that Rhaenys and Aegon did not get into a fight over some shared toys in a corner of the chamber.

Excusing herself for a while, Elia laid down her needle-work and left the chamber to where the royal family would await her.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

Modrige means maternal aunt in Anglo-Saxon, while Fathu is the term for paternal aunt

Sweostor means sister in Old English, sunu is son and brothor is brother

Laywyn is a Old English female name that means "Joy in water". Théoden is listed in the family tree to have three unnamed sisters with unknown birth and death years outside his youngest sister Théodwyn, and since Tolkien never mentioned whatever Théoden had other nephews and nieces outside Éomer and Éowyn, it could very well be possible that the other sisters died without offspring or never married for some reason. According to what I found, Théoden was the second child among his siblings, and with him being born five years after the marriage of his parents, the oldest sister has to be some years older than him if he was the second sibling to be born.

As for why the other sisters does not show up in this story? Théodwyn was 39 years when she died of illness and most likely grief over Éomund, the two middle sisters could have married but remained childless until death for whatever reason that prevented them from having children. Or death at a young age, when they were adults or a accident of some kind. A woman dying in her childbearing years does not mean that she died in childbirth like Théoden's wife Elfhild.

And why a ranger of Ithilien? Laywin could very well have wanted to help keeping orcs away from Gondor, and formed her own group of skilled archers from Rohan to help out the rangers in Ithilien. Also with Morwen Steelsheern coming from Gondor before her husband Thengel became the new King of Rohan ten years after their wedding, Laywin spent her first years of life in Gondor and likely feels a bond to Gondor as well as Rohan


	12. Chapter 12

_**Those no longer alive**_

Despite that the great hall of Meduseld was not many steps away, Elia still wondered what kind of woman the royal sister might be. Was she a widow, who had returned to her birth family after ensuring that a son would lead the family she had married into? Or were she one of those childness ladies, who had chosen a close relative to be the next heir and returned to her own family to live out the rest of her life with them? Above all, however, she hoped that the lady would not be the arrogant type like young Cersei Lannister.

"I can understand why lord Tywin wanted his daughter to be a Queen at Rhaegar's side, and how all the slights from Aerys became too much over the years, but at the same time, I doubt that the young lioness would have managed being the wife of Rhaegar better than I..."

With how Aerys had treated Tywin under the years, Elia seriously doubted that Cersei would be treated kindly if she had married Rhaegar. Being the Crown princess of Westeros, the wife to the next King, had not saved her from the mistrust, and not only because she was from Dorne, either.

Since Théodred had explained the whole situation about Elia and the suspicious reason why she had ended up in Rohan with her children far away from her homeland, Laywyn did agree with her oldest nephew that if Elia were a witness to her husband swearing allegiance to Sauron and she herself knew better than trusting the promises from the Dark Lord, then Elia likely either had needed to escape to avoid being murdered or any other gruesome fate.

"Théoden kyneg," Elia greeted with a curtsy to the royal family.

"Elia, this is my older sister, Laywyn," Théoden explained, allowed the two women to look at each other. Laywyn did her best to not seem too stern, since that could give a wrong first impression and while this lady under the protection of her royal nephew did not appear to be of the timid sort, she could also see that there was something about Elia which spoke of hardships in the past.

"Something about her….reminds of Elfhild? Nearly the same age as when my sister-in-law died, mid to late twenties, not dangerously frail but less robust than what would be good…"

But Laywyn kept her speculations for herself, and Elia did not feel like she was reviewed as weak or unworthy of her position, like in the Targaryen court. Rather, Laywyn managed to make the younger women feel welcomed despite that they exchanged only a few sentences because of the language differences, since Elia were slowly learning Rohirric instead of Westron, which Laywyn and Théoden had grown up with in Gondor during their first years of life.

"I hope that my nephew is taking good care of you?"

"Yes, he is. A very...good job," Elia managed to answer after a few moments of searching for the right words. That was enough for Laywyn, who saw her struggle slightly with find and speaking the right words.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

That evening after the small feast to welcome her back home to Edoras, as the sun was slowly setting to give way for the early autumn night, Laywyn was not surprised to find Théoden at where Elfhild had been laid to rest.

"I may never have married and found any man that I could imagine spending the rest of my life with, but I know that you loved Elfhild as any husband would really love a wife. She was a good choice as your Queen, ignoring her poor health and that she left only one child behind in the living world," Laywyn spoke, coming closer to stand beside him.

"Thank you."

Théoden knew it to be her way of showing affection in her own manner. It had been the same all the way back in their childhood, nearly fifty years ago when they still had been young and innocent in a manner adulthood could not return to.

"So...that lady Elia Martell...what are your real thoughts on her? That your son is protecting a lady that reminds of Elfhild without even knowing about it? Théodred can not be searching for a wife that reminds of his late mother, deliberately or without knowing it himself, he needs a strong and healthy wife that can give him several children without dying in the birthing bed as Elfhild sadly was fated to do."

A much uncomfortable question, but Théoden understood why. Laywyn and his other sisters had not protested his marriage to Elfhild because they had liked her as well, but been very concerned about whatever she would be able to give Rohan a heir that did not risk being frail because of her own health.

"I hope that my son will manage to help her and her children come home to where they lives, and in a way that will ensure that they will not be in danger on the journey back to their homeland."

They both remained silent for a while, and then Laywyn spoke again:

"Sunnwyn, Mildwyn and Théodwyn are the ones who should be standing here, not us two who are the oldest siblings. They should be the ones to outlive us, together with the nephews and nieces our three sisters should have been blessed with, had only their fates been different."

Sunnwyn, the sister who always was joyful like the sun. The second-born sister, who had married into a noble family from the Westfold, only to die childless three years into her marriage when her horse had suddenly panicked at being stung by a wasp and thrown her out of the saddle, then kicking her fatally in the head with a hind leg before anyone could prevent the kick from happening.

Mildwyn, always a peacemaker and known for her gentleness, had married a husband from the Eastfold in the hope of giving her brother some nephews and nieces to serve as a backup line of heirs since Théodred was a only child and Théodwyn had still been a few years away from coming of age. But she too had been fated to die without any children born from her body; she had been on the way home after visiting their maternal cousins in Gondor, and gotten caught in the Mering Stream, the border river between Rohan and Gondor, just as a heavy rainfall and stormy winds caused the river to flood. Her horse had slipped in the mud because it was so hard to see anywhere in the storm, and Mildwyn had been swept away by the underwater currents when her horse had fallen on the side, drowning in the freezing water out in the middle of the river before she could be saved by her escort.

That had left Théodwyn, the youngest sister, to give Théoden backup heirs though her own children as Laywin were seventeen years older than her last sibling and growing more unlikely to have a child for each year that passed. And Laywyn refused to dishonor her family by becoming pregnant out of wedlock since a bastard child would make her flat out impossible to marry off in a desperate attempt to expand the royal family, because a such scandal would be impossible to hide in the long run, even with Laywyn spending the whole pregnancy in Ithilien.

When marrying Éomund at the age of 26, no one could know that Théodwyn would not live to see the dawn of her 40th year since birth. She had left one son and a daughter behind, unlike her two sisters, but even the youngest of the five royal siblings had been haunted by children that had not been alive; the first year of her marriage should have been blessed with a son older than Éomer, who had only lived for a few months before a illness of his little lungs made him join his ancestors. Éowyn would have been joined three years after birth by a set of twin siblings, a brother and sister, born too early and only living for a few hours. A final child of unknown gender had been lost in a miscarriage when Théodwyn had learnt about becoming a widow, and it was not impossible that the blood loss from the miscarriage had played a part in the illness that had taken her life not long after.

"It is up to the next generation to take over the task of expanding the family, we are both long past the age when it could be possible for one final attempt. Your boy by hopefully finding a wife to have children with soon, and our sister-son and sister-daughter later when they are old enough," Laywyn said before opening a water skin she had been carrying in her belt. As she poured out the liquid inside on the flowers covering the grave of Elfhild, Théoden felt on the scent that it was the apple cider his wife and sister had shared a love in.

"A fine gift at your coming home," he said, and then they both remained quiet again together. Then Théoden had to return to Meduseld for some final things he needed to do, while Laywyn remained at the royal tombs for a bit more.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

During the night, Elia had a nightmare. Moving her head while still asleep, her dreams took shape:

_She was back in King's Landing and the Red Keep, hearing the sound of the Sack out in the city. Except this time, she could not move. Frozen like a statue, she could not tear her eyes away from what she saw. _

"_The dragon must have three heads...the prince that was promised..."_

_No. Not Rhaegar, as he would sound like when he was so obsessed with the prophecy. The hidden signs of madness that no one knew about, and which she only had became aware of when the red comet had shown up, and the manner in which Aegon had been conceived..._

_The panic when she felt his hand on her shoulder, the weight of the armour like how he had tried to make her turn around to face him the final time they saw each other before he had left to face the rebell. _

"_No...no, no! You will have no Visenya from me! You nearly killed me by having Aegon born only fifteen months after Rhaenys! I will have no more children thanks to you!"_

_And that horrible smile when he did force her around, which made him look exactly like his father, showing that his image as a heroic prince was a mere mask for the world…_

"_But Visenya is already here, my sweet wife. Look at her, are she not a beauty?"_

_The unmoving baby in his arms, covered in blood and liquids as if just entering the living world outside the womb… _

_Dragon-like birth defects, in the form of a stubby, scaled tail, silver dragon scales covering the arms and legs in places instead of the olive skin inherited from Elia, yellow eyes like those on a cat staring up into nothingness…. _

_A monster. _

_Then she saw it there behind Rhaegar the still body of Lyanna Stark on a bed covered in blood..._

_And her own children laying on crimson cloaks, Aegon's little head crushed like he had been thrown towards a wall, and Rhaenys covered in a uncalculated number of stab wounds all over her body..._

Elia managed to wake up with only a gasp of horror, instead of screaming so loudly that her children woke up. The bodies of her children, and the feeling of their steady breaths against her skin, helped her to calm down from the horror she had felt over the nightmare.

"My children will never sit on the Iron Throne…!"

Their father had shown that he was not so different from his own father, and Elia would never let people place Aegon as King of Westeros instead. Or Rhaenys as a last attempt to keep the Targaryen blood alive.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note: If you are confused about why Elia first thought of Laywyn as a possible widow, think about how things are done in Westeros; a widow can be the regent for a underage son, so with Rhaegar dying while Aegon is a toddler, that means Elia would become his regent until that he turns sixteen and is of age

Sunnwyn means Sun's joy and Mildwyn means Gentle joy in Old English, which I imagine to be the names of the two middle sisters born between Théoden and Théodwyn who was 15 years apart in age

The Westfold is the western part of Rohan, close to the White Mountains and lying between the river Isen and the Folde. Its stronghold is Helm's Deep.

Eastfold was a part of the realm of Rohan. Laying between the White Mountains and Entwash, it was bounded by the Mering Stream at the east and Snowbourn River at the west.

Éomund was slain by orcs in TA 3002, and not long after that Théodwyn died of illness. Since she was only 39 years old at her death, it is not impossible that she was still fertile enough to be pregnant again despite Éomer being 11 and Éowyn 7 years at the time


	13. Chapter 13

Author's note: Some warnings for this chapter: Planned suicide, lots of blood, kinslaying, death in childbirth.

And please, for the sake of sheer courtesy, _**no bashing**_ of what the characters are doing in the comments, please!

~X~X~X~X~X~X

"Are you really sure about this, Asahara?" Vorian Dayne asked his younger sister.

"It is for Elia, brother, and for Rhaenys and Aegon. The Targaryen prince dishonored them by trying to have a third child by Lyanna Stark, and this may the only way to avoid a new _**Blackfyre situation**_**,** should the she-wolf give birth to a son rather than the daughter he wanted."

Ashara were dead serious, and would not chance her mind. Vorian signed, he knew that his sister actually were in love with Elia, had once been satisfied by serving Elia as a lady-in-waiting because Elia had been in a position where she would most likely marry, and she had never forgiven Rhaegar for the humiliation Elia had suffered at Harrenhal. That Rhaegar had run off with Lyanna Stark, instead of being loyal to the wife who had nearly died to give him a heir, only served to deepen her view that the Targaryen prince was unworthy as the husband of Elia.

"...I understand, and please forgive me for being unable to do anything about this situation..."

Ashara responded with hugging Vorian tightly, for hiding her tears of remorse over the pain she was going to cause him soon.

"_**Elia is the only wife of him, Rhaenys and Aegon his trueborn children from a lawful marriage. Rhaegar shall not have a bastard around to be a threat to them.**_"

Then Ashara said something unexpectedly:

"Spread the rumor that the only bastard child around here is mine. Say that I gave in to Brandon at Harrenhal, and that I gave birth to a stillborn daughter. Say that I was in such grief over her death, depressed over losing both my child and my lover, that the sight of Eddard Stark showing up made me jump from the top of the Palestone Sword into the sea, and that my body was never found."

"**What?!** Your name will be tainted forever if I do that…!"

Vorion could not believe what he was hearing from his sister.

"_There will, and never was, a Visenya Waters born between Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark!_ There was never a child in the Tower of Joy, and she will be written down as dying from a illness people not born in Dorne often catches if they stay here for long!" Ashara outraged his protests, their violet eyes looking at the other one despite the height difference. Both siblings did not want a argument to be the last memory of each other, so Vorion did let go of Ashara to cool down his own temper.

"Good bye, brother," Ashara managed to speak before her tears took over, and Vorion could only nod before he went to find his own wife for comfort in his grief.

Arthur had shown up three weeks after that little Jon Snow was born, late at evening in the village closest to Starfall, requesting Wylla to help him in something he could not mention in the open...and could she please bring an apprentice or two along for some help? His whole body language spoke of uneasiness, possibly guilt that he could not really hide.

"So the wolf girl should give birth within the coming days, huh?"

Somehow Wylla managed to disguise Ashara as her apprentice by donning the clothes of a village girl. The wet nurse to Jon Snow, a peasant daughter who had lost her own babe at birth, were also brought along and the baby boy well hidden in the large basket of cotton rags and other things a midwife like Wylla would need in her occupation. The plan was to swap little Jon Snow with his half-Targaryen cousin once the birth had happened, and ensure that Lyanna Stark's child with Rhaegar never drew breath. A stillbirth was not uncommon after all.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

The so called Tower of Joy was really not a place for childbirth, not at all. The tower were too isolated, with no close village to bring help from if something happened. And Lyanna Stark looked like she had not managed the pregnancy well, she had dark circles under her eyes from of lack of sleep and seemed to not have any appetite at all when Arthur tried to offer her the pieces of a fresh apple.

"I want to go home...I want to be home in Winterfell…" Lyanna whispered, her unfocused glace betraying the fever she suffered from. The size of her belly also hinted to that she might have a postterm pregnancy as well.

"Have she tried to starve herself in a desperate attempt to lose the child?"

With the horrible news of Lord Rickard Stark and his heir Brandon being killed along with the rebellion that had started all because of her actions, surely her view on Rhaegar must had changed. Whatever she had run away with him by her own free will at first or been kidnapped, it did not matter now. Her baby had to be born now or she would die with the baby still inside her.

"Be quiet, Jon," his wet nurse whispered after nursing him and Asahara using her head shawl to make a temporary bed for him to sleep in. It would not do well if his cries were heard before Lyanna had given birth.

After only a few hours with them there, Lyanna's labour pains started.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

As Lyanna struggled to push, new sounds were heard outside. The sounds of swords being drawn, then shouts and the unavoidable battle when the Kingsguard would not allow Eddard Stark to save his sister.

"**EDDARD! EDDARD!**" Lyanna screamed in terror at seeing her brother though the window. But she could not scream for long, as Wylla and Asahara forced her back into the room.

"Push out the brat, girl!"

It was far too much blood to not be a risk free birth, and Lyanna collapsed once the little body was out.

"_By the Seven! The Gods have punished Rhaegar beyond the grave, no doubt!_"

Ashara did not need any order to bring the stillborn child out in a hurry, while Wylla kept Lyanna down on the bed.

"Bring in Jon and stay there!"

At three weeks of age, Jon Snow would be impossible to mistake for a newborn infant.

"Give me...my baby….!" Lyanna tried to order, but the blood loss and fever would most likely claim her life soon. Wylla could do nothing else than trying to at least stop the bleeding and give another pain killer to lessen her pains.

Once out in the adjusting chamber and the door closed to avoid that Lyanna would see the horror she had birthed, did Ashara get a proper look at what she carried in her hands:

A monster.

"That royal daydreamer caused all of the deaths and wanted a second daughter..._for this!?_"

Putting down the little body on the floor, Ashara washed off her hands in a bowl of water and changed into her signature purple dress, one single gold hairpin holding her long hair away from the face. A look out though the window revealed that Arthur and Eddard Stark were now duelling each other. Only one of the companions who had followed Eddard were still alive, the other and the other two Kingsguard laying dead on the ground. Picking up Visenya Waters in her arms after wrapping the body up so it would not be seen directly, she screamed:

"_**Arthur! ARTHUR DAYNE!**_"

Her furious scream echoed, and the two men ended up in a lockdown mode at the sound of her voice.

"Ashara!?" Arthur wondered in shock at spotting her over the shoulder.

She climbed up, standing visibly in the window frame so they could see what she was holding.

"Ashara! Do not do anything stupid! You do not understand…"

"_**YOU BETRAYED ELIA AND DORNE BY CHOOSING THE WOLF GIRL OVER THE SUN PRINCESS! ELIA MARTELL, THE TRUE QUEEN CONSORT AND MOTHER TO THE ROYAL CHILDREN!**_"

And she threw herself out from the window, the wrapped baby held out in her hands so it would hit the ground before her.

Arthur kicked Eddard Stark on the leg so the Warden of the North tripped to his side, rushing forwards with a horrified look as if he hoped to at least save the baby….

But he forgot that he was still carrying Dawn in in his hands, and Ashara turned around slightly….

There was a sickening sound, as two bodies was impaled on the famous sword of House Dayne.

Arthur opened and closed his mouth, unable to bring out a sound over what he just had done. Eddard Stark saw in horror how the baby of his sister had been pushed all the way down to the hint and Ashara impaled through her stomach.

"No...no...no…." Arthur whispered, and then Ashara looked up at him in defiance, blood coming from her mouth:

"This is the result of what that silver twat wanted!"

The wrapping had fallen apart, revealing that the stillborn Visenya Waters had dragon-like birth defects, a stubby tail, silver dragon scales covering her little arms and legs in places instead of normal human skin, and the unseeing yellow eyes were cat-like.

Arthur was too horrified by the sight, to notice the incoming danger as Ashara drew her hairpin, grabbed hold of his hair and stabbed it into his throat.

"_**For Elia, Rhaenys and Aegon….!**_" Ashara whispered, seeing how the light went out from his eyes while Arthur collapsed down on his side, a look of disbelief still in them over what she had done.

"Ashara!"

Strong hands taking hold of her, freeing her from Dawn and turning her around so she faced Eddard Stark. But she knew that she would soon join her brother in the afterlife, this kind of injury was beyond help.

"Elia…."

And she saw no more as the darkness of death clouded her sight.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Still holding the body of Ashara in his arms, Eddard Stark could not believe what he just had seen:

The Sword of the Morning killed by his own sister, Ashara using her brother to kill herself and directly making both of them guilty of kinslaying. The still impaled body of a newborn, showing all the signs of the children with dragon defects that the Targaryens sometimes could give birth to…

"...Lord Stark? The girl child shows traces of House Stark in the face…" Howland Reed spoke up after freeing the tiny body and wrapping it up in the discarded white cloak of Arthur.

By the Old Gods, was it his niece he just had witnessed to be killed?!

"...Lyanna….I have to see Lyanna!"

The sole door to the tower was locked, but a key was found on the ground so they could open.

Neither Wylla or the wet nurse was surprised by the door to the inner chamber being thrown up by force.

"Lyanna!"

Eddard rushed over to the bed where his deadly pale sister laid, already feeling the strong scent of blood mixed with roses in the room. A withered wreath of blue winter roses were the reason behind the rose scent.

"Father….? Brandon….?" Lyanna whispered at feeling his hand touch her own, the fever having already taken much of her strength, and the blood loss from the difficult birth of her stillborn daughter had been the final blow. There was nothing that could save her.

"It is me, Lyanna, I am finally here…." Eddard answered, fighting against his own tears over that he could do nothing.

"Ned...promise me…"

There was a fear in her eyes, as she struggled to see him. He held her close, lifting her slightly up from the pillows.

"Promise me...to b-bring me..._**home**_….Winterfell…"

"I promise, Lyanna, I promise. You will return home with me, and you shall never have to be in the south again."

The fear left her, and she managed to smile weakly as her fingers clutched his own in a tight grip. Then she lost the fight against the Stranger, her final breath leaving in a weak gasp.

The chamber was silent for a few moments, before the cry of a baby filled it. Eddard looked up in shock at the sound, tears still on his face.

"What….?"

Wylla stood in the door, holding Jon Snow in her arms.

"Your nephew by your late brother, _**Jon Snow, **_though a natural daughter of House Blackwood. He was born three weeks ago."

Eddard barely had time to release the body of Lyanna, before the baby boy was placed in his arms instead. It was impossible to not notice the Stark look already present on little Jon, the one which Visenya Waters had missed, since she had shown her Targaryen lineage even without the dragon birth defects.

"Had your brother wed miss Caterlyn Tully before rushing off to the capital, this boy could have been his heir."

Oh no, Eddard realized, recalling the letter from Riverrun that Catelyn had given him a son named Robb Stark just before the Battle of the Trident, about five weeks ago if he had counted right. How would his wife react to seeing a child that could have been hers with Brandon, had things just been a little bit different?

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author's note:

Postterm pregnancy is the condition of a woman who has not yet delivered her baby after 42 weeks of gestation, two weeks beyond the median duration of a human pregnancy of about 40 weeks (mean duration of pregnancy varies by parity). Post-mature births can carry risks for both the mother and the infant, including fetal malnutrition.

Vorian Dayne, called the Sword of the Evening, was the last King of the Torrentine from House Dayne in Dorne. Since Arthur was a younger son but his brother, Lord Dayne at the time of the Rebellion, is unnamed in canon, I chose the name of a ancestor for him

In this version, Ashara is a lesbian who was in love with Elia for a long time, and showed her loyalty towards Elia by ensuring that Rhaegar would have no other children left behind as legacy than Rhaenys and Aegon


	14. Chapter 14

_**The colder seasons**_

She should have expected it, yet Elia had once again proven herself to be a human with her flaws. It was by pure luck that neither she or her children had fallen ill from something during their first months in Rohan. And when one of the unfamiliar illnesses of this new world found them, they were struck hard.

"Autumn fever, and given how ill all three of them are, I doubt that that this recurrent disease is found in the south," a healer confirmed to Théodred when he had been alarmed by how feverish Elia was where she laid in bed, and how both Rhaenys and Aegon seemed so exhausted that it was a struggle just to sit up in bed to drink or eat something.

"I though it to the Autumn fever too, with how several children in Edoras have fallen ill over the past days, but I wanted to ensure that I was not mistaken."

Autumn fever was not fatal, it simply was one of those illnesses that returned each year when summer gave away for the colder weather of autumn, which had given its name.

Having suffered from the illness himself as a child, since pre-adolescence children was the most common victims by Autumn fever though it was not unheard of that adults could become ill from it as well, Théodred knew how to treat it. Mostly to by drinking boiled water which had been allowed to cool so it was not too warm and soup or other foods that was easy on the stomach.

Elia was not happy over being so ill that she had to stay in bed. It reminded her far too much of the six months she had been bedridden after giving birth to Rhaenys, where some of her suspicions about Rhaegar had been partly confirmed. With a husband that seemed to live in a dream world, there had been next to no encouraging on his part, and her attempts at deeper conversation had often resulted in him just staring at her as if he couldn't imagine that she actually had an opinion on things.

"Given how little actual power Rhaella had despite being the queen consort, a position meant to be the most powerful woman in Westeros, I seriously doubt that her blockhead to firstborn ever saw a scene where she proved herself to be more than a broodmare!"

A careful knock on the door, and Théodred entered with a tray in his hand.

"I thought that some soft-boiled pieces of apple might be nice for you three to eat."

Even if it was something such simple as offering some snack for her and the children, Elia still appreciated the gesture. She was still a little wary around him, for the actions of Rhaegar had left some of her confidence in men that was not her birth family in ruins. But Théodred allowed her the space she needed, and Rhaenys was overjoyed when Balerion returned to join the small family on the bed for a nap.

Thankfully, they only had to suffer though the Autumn fever for seven days before the illness found new victims. Éowyn was the next unlucky one in the royal household to fall ill, but she was more familiar with the illness from her past autumns of life and instead spent her illness-spent days in bed with challenge his brother to try to come up with more made-up stories for her to listen to, because it also trained him to memorize important stories from Rohan's history and folktales.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Autumn proved to be a busy time in Rohan. The harvest would be collected and a part of it used as taxes to the king, the rest the farmers could keep for themselves or they would starve during the cold winter months later. Animals would be chosen for slaughter, becoming food for winter as well.

Even Elia, who had worried about not being able to do much hard work, had found herself with the task of spinning and weaving more fabric from the wool into woollen fabric and flax fibers into linen fabric. She was only happy to help out, for while she was not that accustomed to those chores from her life in Dorne, she could at least benefit her hosts by working for the food she ate.

"Elia, there is no need for you to work that hard, we have done enough of this today," Laywyn said after showing Éowyn how to knit. Even the females in the royal family had to know how to sew, weave and knitting because it was valuable knowledge. And Éowyn wanted to learn so she could gift her brother a new set of knitted gloves at the Midwinter feast, she knew that his current ones was almost too small in size as he had entered puberty this year.

"Oh...alright…" Elia responded, stopping the weaving and instead picking up a embroidery as Laywyn went to fix another errand.

However, it did not take long before her raised voice was heard in the hall outside the weaving chamber:

"_**You bungling ne'er-do-well! Are this how you think a maid of the royal household should work?! Is it your idea of being a effective wife when you marries a husband!?**_"

Mereliss did not seem that much surprised by the loud scolding.

"I think that maid is is on her last chance to prove herself to be a useful worker here in the royal household. People who can not finish their chores in time already now when they are still underage but old enough to start earning a income by working or having a apprenticeship, will not be good wives when they have a household of their own. Same with eventual husbands. Those with their heads up among the clouds are only being burden for their family or co-workers, so they often faces trouble unless they sharpens up and actually do what they are supposed to do."

"And Éomer tries hard to overcome his struggles with reading in his lessons! He have a good eye for poems, but sometimes it seems like the words are jumping around for him," Éowyn spoke up, which made Laywyn smile as she returned into the sewing chamber.

"Trying to deal with a obstacle in different ways is good, for one of them might be the right solution. But I agree with you, Mereliss, a daydreamer is the worst kind of person if I have to deal with them. Especially if they fails to realize that their chosen actions will only make a situation worse!"

"That is why we here in Rohan prefer practical people, who actually do something, like actually taken up anything useful to fight with as a weapon, instead of those fools who neglects their skill with a weapon as soon as their basic training is completed and then think they will still be able to cope with a real battle!"

Elia did not understand all the words shared between the two older women, but most of them. In fact, she had to smile at the mental image of how Rhaegar would be viewed as useless according to the view of Rohan. It felt good to know that his behavior would not be accepted in their culture.

Meanwhile, Rhaenys and Aegon had found some rare color crayons and run off to hide themselves behind the throne where Théoden would be seated if he had not been outside in that moment. In lack of having any parchment to draw on, they ended up drawing directly on the floor.

"And this is aunt Ashara!"

Rhaenys was proud of her drawing, for all of that it was merely a stick figure with her best attempt of drawing the black, slightly curly hair she recalled Ashara to have.

"Aunt Ashara is really nice, Aegon, she used to sing songs for us both and mama before she had to leave."

She made a attempt of singing one of those songs, though it naturally sounded a bit off-key because Rhaenys had not gotten any singing lessons yet. But Aegon was just happy to spend time with his sister, even tried to join her to the best of his ability.

Of course, it did not go unnoticed by the servants, but most of them only smiled at seeing the two children. For all of that they and their mother was from a different country, it was still a scene rarely seen in the Meduseld nowadays. Éomer and Éowyn were no longer that young, and the prince had been a adult for even longer.

"It feels a lot more lively with small children in the royal household again."

~X~X~X~X~X~X

The harvest was celebrated with a big harvest feast all across the kingdom, and no one found it strange that Elia took part of the prayer at the large stone circle with its altar where the royal family of Rohan thanked the Valar for the gifts of the earth that would feed the Rohirrim in the coming winter months. Théoden finished off the prayer by making his horse gallop in high speed while he emptied a tankard filled with ale across the ground.

Although the King could not hide that he had entered his older years, and few doubted that Théodred would perhaps take over that part of the prayer from his father within the coming years. The crown, and the kingdom of Rohan itself, would not be his until that Théoden had joined his forefathers, but there was other duties Théodred could do in his father's place long before he became the next King of Rohan.

Winter eventually came with its characteristic cold weather, and snow covered the steppes of Rohan. Elia had once found Dragonstone to be cold in contrast to Dorne, but now thought that the old Targaryen seat had met a strong challenger.

"I think this is the most amount of layers I ever have been dressed in!" she joked one morning to her children, as they saw how Edoras had transformed over the past days. All three of them were warmly dressed in layers of wool and even cloaks with thick fox pelt at the hoods to keep the bearer warm; Another set of clothes that Théodred had given them as their protector.

"White stuff," Rhaenys said, joining Aegon in his attempts to figure out what this mysterious cold thing on the ground was. The toddler held up two little handfuls of snow, one in each hand, and then tried to throw it back down.

"You are not doing snowballs not quite right!"

That was the only warning, before Éowyn revealed what a snowball was by hitting Elia's gown, in the middle of chasing Éomer in a friendly snowball fight between the two siblings.

"Tossing! Tossing!"

Being a clever girl, Rhaenys tried to make a snowball to throw back at the older girl, though, it was rather loosely made and naturally fell apart as Rhaenys threw it away.

"You will need to made it harder."

Théodred had shown up, and Rhaenys watched him create a snowball which he then threw at his younger cousins.

"I think you have to help them in a snowball fight against us, cousin!" Éomer called, trying to take cover from his sister so he could respond with a snowball of his own.

Aegon had first watched, and then taken some snow in one gloved hand. Elia was not surprised to see him slam down the hand on her cloak.

"Now, Aegon, your mother are not the only one to hit…"

Théodred found himself with a snowball in his face, and Elia laughed at the sight, joined by her children.

"Even I could learn," she teased in good humor, before spotting Rhaenys run after the older sibling pair a with a great determination to try to hit one of them with a snowball.

"Oh, looks like it will be a full snowball fight with all six of us now."

The Prince of Rohan turned out to be right, and they spent the rest of the morning in said snowball fight under great laugher, Éowyn and Éomer teaming up against the adults while Rhaenys and Aegon was more free to hit whoever they wanted.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Unknown to those who lived in Rohan, however, something strange had happened in the far north in the Misty Mountains. Deep inside the old Dwarven mansion called Khazad-dûm in its glory days, but nowadays known as Moria since the Dwarves of Moria had been forced to abandon their realm in year 1981 of the Third Age, which had happened 1024 years ago.

"For the seven hells, we have been walking for days and there is no end in sight!"

Ser Gregor Clegane, along with a few other Lannister knights, had originally been on their way to join their Lord as he escorted his daughter to be married to the newly crowned Robert Baratheon as the new queen consort of Westeros, but it seemed like the idea of making up camp at the entrance to an old, abandoned mine apparently would not have been the best of decisions.

At waking up, they had found themselves deep inside the mine instead which had only been the start of their current situation, and what was worse, their food and wood to make fire with, began to run out.

"Fucking hell!"

Gregor was not the friendliest of men from the beginning, and his displeasure only grew the more time they spent down here in the mine. His size, which normally was very useful for spreading fear against those who faced him in battle, proved to be a major obstacle in the smaller, narrower corridors.

"Damn, we are back at that crossroad again…"

Also, Gregor had also proved to the group weakness in a different way; by wearing the heaviest, thickest plate armor that could be found in the Seven Kingdoms, he was not exactly quiet, either.

"Great, those pests are coming again!"

The orcs that now lived in Moria, had not wanted any intruders and the group already had fought against them several times over the past days. Gregor proved once again to be a monster in battle, but not even a giant like him was able to deal with the orcs alone.

Except, something else was coming as well, sending the orcs fleeing for their lives. And fire was spreading.

"Is that...a dragon?!"

As they were from a different world, they could possibly not know that they were about to face a demon from ancient times in Middle-Earth.

A balrog.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

Tolkien never mentioned any other diseases for Middle-Earth outside the Great Plague, also known as the Dark Plague, which was a disastrous pestilence that killed untold numbers of people, possibly up into the hundreds of thousands. The plague was brought by an evil wind from the east, and lasted for about 2 years but its effects was visible for the next 200 years

Basically Mereliss and Laywyn is indirectly pointing out the difference between Robert Baratheon and Rhaegar during the Rebellion. The rebels led by Robert had won three major battles before the Trident, while Rhaegar had spent several months in Dorne hiding away with Lyanna in the Tower of Joy, at least long enough to make her pregnant and to ensure that she would not lose the child in a miscarriage, which would mean that he had to make her pregnant again and wait even longer to ensure that it would not be a second miscarriage before he returned to the royal court. This means that he most likely neglected his needed battle skills during that time to focus on getting his third child, and as most of us know, winning tournaments are NOT the same as winning a real battle, especially if the opponent does not want to risk harming the future King. Also, Robert was strong enough to use a warhammer which is a very different weapon from a sword, and gave Rhaegar a reality check in that a warhammer can kill you in a single blow if it hits the chest to a crushing point. In fact, according to the ASOIAF wiki, the blow was so hard that the rubies adorning Rhaegar's armor were shattered free to litter the river, giving the ruby ford its name

According to the ASOIAF wiki, Gregor Clegane is close to eight feet in height or 2,4 meters, so together with the armour that likely would need to be custom made solely for him, he would not exactly be quiet in the mines of Moria that would cause a lot of echo sounds from where he walks


	15. Chapter 15

_**Winter solstice **_

Author note: chapter 14 and 15 was originally planned as one chapter, but it ended up being too long and I chose to spit it in two instead. Anyone in for some Clegane barbecue?

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Yet one morning in the middle of winter, something were different as Elia woke up for the day. There was a excitement in the air, shared by everyone living in Edoras and the maid servants had gone up even earlier than normally to make Meduseld shine like a polished jewel after cleaning everywhere with sand and water, while the smells from the kitchen promised of something extra. Somehow, Elia felt reminded of the Tourney at Harrenhal, except it didn't feel like anything foreshadowing. Perhaps it was something important happening, it could explain why the servants had cleaned all of Meduseld over the past days.

"The feast for winter solstice is here!"

Even Mereliss and Laywyn acted more like young girls than the older women they truly was, and for a good reason. This was one of the biggest events of the year in Rohan, a time to enjoy with friends and family.

"Elia! Rhaenys, Aegon! Come on, we must hurry to the riding challenges if we are to get good places for you to sit on!" Éowyn called from the doors to Meduseld once they had eaten breakfast, weaving with her hands to bid them hurry up.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Those riding challenges were part of every important, annual celebrations in Rohan, but every season brought with it a new challenge for both horse and rider. Winter, for example, could hide ice under the snow and this made a good reason to ride carefully.

Both men and women took part of the challenges, and even Laywyn gave her opponents a hard time to match her skills in using a bow and arrows.

"Come on, brother! Win that race, will you?!" Éowyn cheered on her brother with great zeal from where the royal household was seated to watch the riding challenges. Éomer finished third of the race for his age group, but his sister was still pleased to see him among the three best riders. Not long after that race, Théodred proved that he was very skilled with a spear and throwing ax in the competition to hit most goal posts on the field where that challenge was being made.

"They...are not giving him a easier win?" Elia realized when she found something a little strange, and watched the riders a little closer to see if she had mistaken something. Indeed, just because he was the next King it did not mean that people allowed Théodred to have a easy victory. If he wanted to win, he had to give his very best.

And that highlighted again the differences between the Prince of Rohan and the last Prince of Dragonstone. While she had never seen Rhaegar fight in what would be his only real battle before death, Elia did not doubt for a moment that Théodred would be the better warrior of the two, if they ever had met face to face. Not only was he three years older than Rhaegar like herself, but born in a culture where being a warrior was a important part of their lifestyle.

"Good hit there, brothor-sunu!" Laywyn called from her seat which was beside her brother, as the woman with most authority in the royal family since Rohan did not have a queen. As for the King himself, Théoden did not hide his pride over that his late wife had blessed him with a such skillful son. Elfhild would have been proud of her only child as well, had she still been alive in this moment, that the widowed King did not doubt.

While Théodred did not win all his challenges, everyone agreed on that he had done well. It was a promise of that if there was a war when his father grew too old, he would be able of leading Rohan.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

A few hours later, everyone had returned home to wash and dress in their finest clothing. Elia had found a pale yellow dress to wear, with her children getting fine clothing made from the same fabric. The colour had reminded her of the sand desert in Dorne, and she hoped that it would not stand out too much.

Thankfully it did not. All the other women at court were dressed in such colours as well, to be a contrast to the winter darkness outside now when the days were short and the nights long. Laywyn had a dark blue and ice-blue dress that seemed to be made in a slightly older style, but its colours matched her well.

"It is the fashion from when Elfhild spent her seven years as wife to my brother. And since I have rarely been home over the past years, I prefer to keep with the styles I know."

It was also a way of honoring her late sister-in-law, Laywyn explained as the two women made Rhaenys and Aegon ready for the feast. For all of that Elfhild had never gotten the chance to be a queen, she still was the mother of the next king and had the right to be remembered.

The Yule feast started with Laywyn handing a gold goblet to her brother, and everyone in the great hall of Meduseld rose from where they were seated.

"This night may be the longest night of the year, yet it also symbols that in a few months Rohan shall once again be blessed with new life when spring arrives. Blessed be the new life!" Théoden spoke, and they joined him in the last five words to start the feasting.

Given that Éomer was still young, Laywyn made a point of giving a trusted maid the task to keep a eye on how many tankards of ale he drank. Hangovers was never pleasant, and she would rather not have her sister-son make a fool out of himself by joining into those drinking contests that always happened at those feasts. Thankfully, Éomer proved himself able to ignore a offered drink in favor of trying to keep Aegon from reaching the tankard when the white-haired toddler tried to climb up on the bench where the fourteen-year-old was seated.

"You are at least ten years too young for this kind of drink, young friend."

Aegon pouted when the tankard was pulled out of reach for his little hands, but did not start crying. Instead he smiled at grabbing hold of the remaining bread piece Éomer had not yet eaten, stuffing his cheeks full.

"Not that much at once, Aegon."

Thankfully Éomer only needed to give one gentle smack on the small back to avoid that Aegon accidentally choked on the bread. The small boy was confused for a moment when the teenager stopped him from eating again before he had swallowed, but then returned to the remaining bread pieces in his hands.

"It is a good thing that you had your sister to train on, even if you were only four years older than her, or you would have no idea to act around a such small child," Laywyn commented before picking up Aegon in her arms.

"Being awkward would younger children would be poor training for eventual fatherhood, Fathu."

While Éomer was still four years from his coming of age, he knew that unless Théodred married a wife soon and had children with her, the task of fathering new heirs to the royal line of Rohan might fall on him if Théodred did not have any children in his marriage. It was not yet a burden due to his young age, but Éomer knew how important it was for the family to expand to next generation. He and Théodred had actually talked about it together with his uncle this summer when he entered adolescence, to explain what it truly meant. And with only him and Éowyn as the cousins to Théodred in their generation, it was a serious matter.

"Oh, look, your sisters are dancing together."

Indeed Éowyn held Rhaenys' hands, showing the dance steps to the younger girl as they followed the tones of the music played by the minstrels. Elia smiled, where she and the other adults enjoyed the simple joy of childhood so visible on the two girls.

Eventually, Rhaenys and Aegon had to be put to bed. Théodred helped Elia to gather up the two young ones, since they were in different places of Meduseld.

"I hope that you enjoyed this feast."

"I did, thank you."

Her children clearly had been having a fun day, to the point of that once they were undressed and put to bed, they fell asleep almost the moment their heads landed on the pillow.

"Right, I almost forgot to give those to you. Rhaenys and Aegon can open theirs tomorrow when they have woken up."

Laywyn had been kind enough to explain about of the custom of small gifts on winter solstice between friends, family or spouses, and that as a foreigner Elia would not feel pressured to share that custom since there was different traditions in different countries. Yet Elia was surprised to find a set of handcrafted earrings for her, carefully carved to form a sun.

"Oh, thank you!"

She understood that it was meant as a gift of friendship, nothing else.

"I thought that the sun would be a nice motive, since you often uses it when you are embroidering and it is the sigil of your homeland."

Elia smiled warmly at him.

"It is the thought that counts, shall you know."

They did not get a chance to talk more, as they were called back to the great hall since the feast were not yet over.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

In King's Landing, Robert Baratheon and Cersei Lannister had just left Great Sept of Baelor where they had gone through the ceremony to become man and wife. As the new King of Westeros, Robert had to marry in order to form a new royal dynasty, and with Eddard Stark bringing back the body of Lyanna Stark from the Tower of Joy in Dorne, he had to choose a different bride than his original betrothed.

No one doubted that this wedding was a trumpf for Tywin Lannister, for that while Ceseri had never became the wife of Rhaegar after being rejected by Aenys for the role, her chance to become queen had returned when Robert found himself with no future wife at his side. Yes, Elia Martell and her children by Rhaegar was still missing, but the Warden of the West refused to miss this second chance to make a queen of his daughter.

Yet, when the new royal couple was about to enter the Great Hall, the throne room with the Iron Throne, for the wedding feast with all their new court, a shocking sight greeted them:

The dismembered body of Ser Amory Lorch, who had been missing for a few months. And at his side….

Ser Gregor Clegane, whose face had a look of pure terror with staring eyes and wide open mouth, his armour being melted into his flesh at places. Long burn marks on his body as if he had been hit with a flaming whip, then hit with the flaming sword directly without any chances of defense.

The two men laid on two Lannister banners in front of the Iron Throne, but their fatal injuries were impossible to hide even with the crimson red and the golden lion. The sight of them, along with the smell of death, were so overwhelming that several of the present ladies fainted from horror.

"A bad omen!" someone whispered, before being outnumbered by Robert and Tywin ordering the servants to remove the bodies at once and to try cleaning away the blood from the blood. A far from easy task, and one which would delay the whole wedding feast.

How was they to know, that the bodies had been sent from another world, from the Vala Námo who ruled over the afterlife in Arda?

~X~X~X~X~X~X

As for Námo himself, he was currently in the Halls of Mandos, his own domain, and very pleased at the sight of how the new royal court of Westeros was brought into chaos over the unexpected little "tribute" he had sent to Tywin Lannister to find at the wedding of his daughter.

"Well, lord Tywin, you will no longer have two monster to use in order to make people fear you. Many lives have been saved thanks to the Prince of Rohan saving the Martell princess and her children, so it is only fair that you get those two bodies back."

Rhaenys, Aegon and their mother had really avoided a much horrible fate, that Námo had seen in a vision of the future that was no longer true, and their survival meant that they had a chance of living a much better life than what they could have with Rhaegar still alive.

"However, I would like to find that dragon prince's soul and try to make him realize what fate he would have brought upon them by his actions…"

Oh well, his attempts to reaching out to the other world was not always successful, but Námo was still pleased with knowing that three innocent lives had been saved.

Besides, the Stranger, his counterpart in Westeros, had been promised the life of the first child Cersei would bear from her brother Jamie in exchange for that Elia, Rhaenys and Aegon would be spared. The others of Targaryen blood would soon be found with the Stranger as well, Dowager Queen Rhaella was already halfway there since she had been fated to lose her life in childbirth. It could have happened already when she gave birth to Rhaegar due to her young age, but this time she would not be able to escape. And her last remaining son, and still unborn daughter were fated to die as well…

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

Prince of Dragonstone or, in some cases, Princess of Dragonstone, was the title of the heir apparent to the Iron Throne during the Targaryen dynasty. The heir apparent's seat was the castle of Dragonstone located on the island of the same name.

Anyone who knows what happened with Elia and her children in canon, will likely realize the symbolism of Amory and Gregor being found at the Iron Throne.

As for the fates of Viserys and Daenerys, I will be blunt; Viserys will die as in canon, from the melted "crown" Khal Drogo gives him, while this version of Daenerys will _**NOT**_ survive the birth of her son Rhaego, due to being only 13 years old at her marriage to Drogo and 14 years old at the birth. Being in her early teens, most likely married off only a few months after getting her first menstruation and probably not having a even supply of food during their life in exile, is what will doom Daenerys to die in childbirth, end of discussion


	16. Chapter 16

**Little gifts**

It was early in the morning after the Winter solstice, all of Edoras being quiet after the feasts only a few hours ago. Elia had been sleeping peacefully, when she suddenly woke up at realizing something.

"I have to finish Rhaenys' name day gift before she wakes up!"

Or birthday, as they called it here in Rohan. Elia had managed to work out about which days would be equal to the name days of her children here in Rohan, and for Rhaenys it was today, the day after the Winter solstice.

Somehow, Elia managed to climb out of bed and sneak out of the chamber without waking up her children, though Balerion followed after her in the hope of possibly gaining some early food from the kitchen.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Mereliss had gotten some young maids and herself to bed early yesterday, as she knew that otherwise there would be a big fuss in getting breakfast ready for all the other people as they woke up in the morning.

"Oh, Elia?"

The foreign mother was sitting at a small fire in the kitchen, sewing on something in her hands.

"Mereliss! I am sorry for being here so early in the morning, but I realized something very important and I had to try finish what I had planned...as _Rhaenys turns four years old today._"

"Oh, she is one of those children begotten around spring equinox? A good time for a mother to be blessed by the Earth-mother, since it is a pain to be in your last months of pregnancy during summer!"

Elia had no idea who the Earth-mother was, but perhaps it was a different name on the Mother used by the common people here in Rohan?

"Then, little Rhaenys shall have something extra today."

Sugar was a rare thing here in Rohan, even in the royal household as it had to be imported via trade with other countries, but Mereliss knew a simple recipe for a honey cake commonly served on birthdays. In fact, very little things was needed for it; 3 eggs, ¾ cup of honey and ¼ cup of flour.

"Take the 3 eggs and beat them until they are extra frothy. Gradually add most of the honey to let the mixture thicken. Fold in flour and then pour the mixture in a small greased pan with edges."

The pan was then set in hot embers for the time it took one candle to burn down, checking often to make sure the edges of the cake did not blacken.

"When removing the pan from the heat, drizzle rest of honey on top, and finally cut into pieces when it have cooled enough to eat."

While the cake was being made, Elia got time to finish the rag doll she had been making for Rhaenys. It was simple, but she thought that it was best for her daughter to not stand out anymore than what she already did with her hair and skin colour among the other children. Besides, a doll was something all girls were given in childhood if they survived infanthood.

Then she heard Mereliss say something which sounded like slightly a rhyme:

"_Winter solstice children, blessed with gentle hearts_

_spring equinox children, far-seeing and healing_

_summer solstice children, loving and courageous_

_autumnal equinox children, wisdom and strength_

_But woe those born of unnatural unions _

_those born on the death day of Helm Hammerhand_

_and double so those born on the Shadow's Night_!"

The ending part of the rhyme seemed so strong, that Elia stopped dressing up the rag doll for Rhaenys.

"The three last lines of that rhyme…?" she asked nervously, somehow dreading the answer.

"Unnatural unions such as a child being born between a brother and sister, or parent and child, aunt or uncle with a nephew or niece. Inbreeding between such close relatives results in children that should not be allowed the breath of life at all, for their very begetting is a abnormality. People who do that kind of sin over several generations are fated to have their blood die out, because it is only by marriage with people who brings in new blood, by being unrelated to those they marries, that healthy children strong in body and mind are born."

One of the maids explained to Elia about King Helm, the ninth King of Rohan, and how he had been the last king of his line because of his two sons dying before him, same with the sole daughter among his children and the King being too old to remarry because he had died at the age of 68 years.

"And the Shadow's Night?"

"A really bad day and night to be born on. Such children are flat out said to become the doom of their families, because of their actions."

When Mereliss told which date it was, Elia paled in horror. The day which had became known for the Tragedy at Summerhall, the same day as Rhaegar was born, and what had caused the saying that he was "born in grief" because king Aegon V had died in the flames with his oldest son and his best friend, Ser Duncan the Tall, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard at the time. One could really call Rhaegar the doom of House Targaryen, given that outside her two children, there would be only Viserys left when Aerys and Rhaella died. And she did not doubt that Robert Baratheon would dethrone Aerys and send Visenys to the Wall in order to basically end the male line of the royal family.

"Even more reason to hide Rhaenys and Aegon, if we ever manages to return to Dorne…!"

Perhaps she would need to hide in the Water Gardens for the rest of her life, and her children marrying into minor noble houses of Dorne in order to not be found out, but that would be a small price to avoid that they were killed for who their father had been.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

It was Balerion that woke up Rhaenys, by poking on her cheek with his front paw.

"Move, Balerion," she ordered in a sleepy voice, pushing away the now much bigger tomcat way from her with a hand.

"Meh…" Aegon mumbled in sleep at her side, making a grimace as he got a moving cat tail just under his nose and that naturally tickled as the tail moved back and forth with Balerion not changing his sitting position.

The door opened slightly, and Elia came in with something on a big wooden plate.

"Good morning, sweet Rhaenys. Today you are a big girl on four years old."

The smell of the honey cake woke up both children properly, and they eagerly begged their mother to taste it, though Elia insisted on that they did something else first. Namely opening the gifts to them both that Théodred had given her the evening before. Opening the fabric bags were a little tricky since the knots had been tied to ensure that none of the children opened their gift ahead of time, but Elia could help them in that.

"Blocks!" Aegon announced in joy at holding up two of the coloured wooden blocks he had gotten, in one hand each to show his mother and sister. Rhaenys was happy over the wooden animals she had got, and showed delight over the doll as Elia gave her.

"Honey cake, mama!"

Elia smiled at the sight of them licking off the sticky honey from their fingers, while she enjoyed a small piece herself.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

As Rhaenys is fifteen months older than Aegon, and is mentioned in canon to have been three years old at the time of the Sacking of King Landing, her birthday would naturally be three months before Aegon's own. For Aegon, I imagine that his birthday would be about three days before the spring equinox in Rohan. And why I chose the day after the Winter solstice for Rhaenys, it is rather simple: any person in RL who is born near or even at a important holiday, would feel overshadowed by said holiday. Like getting birthday gifts that have its wapping in the theme of the holiday like Christmas or Valentine's day, feeling like there is less focus on yourself and more on the holiday

I imagine that Earth-mother is one of the names used for Yavanna among the race of Men

The Mother or the Mother Above, is one of the seven aspects of a single deity in the Faith of the Seven.

The link to where I found the simple honey cake:

/honey-cake-medieval-style/

Helm Hammerhand was the ninth King of Rohan, and I imagine that since he died with his sons in a war against the Dunlendings during the Long Winter, ending the first line of Rohan's Kings who descended from Eorl the Young and instead his sister-son Fréaláf became the tenth King of Rohan, the day of his death may be viewed as a ill-omened day to be born on

Shadow's Night is my idea of the RL Devil's Night, only that in Middle-Earth it is a time associated with Morgoth all the way back to the First Age, likely when the Noldor learned about the so called Treachery of Men which refers to the betrayal to the Union of Maedhros by the House of Ulfang at the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. Basically one of the most unlucky days to be born on

Given that it is not uncommon for the Great Houses and nobility of Westeros to form alliances through marriage, some bad genes from both sides of the family is bound to be found. Since Myriah Martell, Dyanna Dayne and Betha Blackwood were followed by the mother and daughter pair Shaera and Rhaella Targaryen as Queen consort of Westeros, both married to their brothers who they also shared birth parents with, I think the Targaryen incest got some new genes as extra "flavouring" from those three non-Targaryen wives before Elia added in some much-needed fresh blood from the spouses that married into House Martell between Maron Martell and the generation with Doran, Oberyn and Elia

Since Elia, Rhaenys and Aegon was rescued by Théodred not long after that the Sack of King's Landing had started, it is doubtful that she knows that Aerys is dead. Or that Rhaella is pregnant with her final child and sadly is fated to die in that childbirth


	17. Chapter 17

_**Travels**_

The winter gave away for spring. Elia did not bother much with her own 28th birthday, but it pleased her to learn that while that date of birth tended to mean both sorrows and joy in life, the joys would overrule the sorrows. Especially in the manners of the heart.

"It is not unheard of that such women are married twice in life. That the first marriage is not long-lived for whatever reason, and that a second marriage with a new husband last for the rest of her life," Mereliss explained when Elia asked about whatever there was a meaning for those born in the early flowering of spring season.

Now, Elia had no plans to remarry, not after how she had lost faith in marriage thanks to Rhaegar's actions. While she did hope that Rhaenys and Aegon would find a good father-figure, someone who would teach them that incest was wrong and that Rhaenys would not need to marry shortly after flowering since pregnancy and childbirth at a young age meant that her daughter risked to die, the idea of a new husband did not was not particularly appealing.

"Whatever the wolf girl went freely with him at first or really was kidnapped, I hope that she got a taste of him _**not**_ being a heroic knight in shining armour as he gave the impression of being!"

A part of Elia was bitter over that Rhaegar had chosen Lyanna Stark over herself, and given that a lot of noble maids could be pretty naive about men due to being sheltered by their families in the hope of "not encourage dangerous ideas about romance", she wondered if the wolf girl had fallen for Rhaegar's singing voíce since she had been spotted crying at hearing the sad song he had played on his harp.

That horrible day, the memory of seeing all the smiles fade as Rhaegar rode past her and the growing feelings of horror, disbelief, and humiliation at him giving Lyanna Stark the wreath of blue winter roses to wear as Queen of Love and Beauty...

No, Elia had really been burned by how she had been treated by the Targaryen prince, and therefore any idea of entering a new marriage had fallen pretty low on the list of her plans for the future.

"Elia? Could you help me for a moment, please?"

It was Théodred, who had found himself "attacked" by both Aegon and Rhaenys, the young siblings preventing him from walking away by clinging to his legs. The sight was at least amusing for her.

"Rhaenys, Aegon, could you let him go before he trips over, thank you."

The siblings were not quite eager to let their protector be free, but Théodred offered a easy solution by lifting them both up in his arms instead.

"That is better, right?" the Prince of Rohan smiled at the children, before he turned his attention to the mother, "Elia, you heard about that I will be away for a few weeks by travel to the various regions of Rohan right? Normally that is Father who does the journey, but he have not recovered fully from the broken ribs he suffered three weeks ago."

"Yes."

It had happened out of the blue in the stables, after that King Théoden had been out on a riding tour. His stallion had been spooked by something right as the stable groom had taken off the saddle, and the King had been pushed into the wooden pillar between the box stalls. Not anything dramatic outside a heavy bruising and two broken ribs, but Théoden suffered pain whatever he tried to ride currently and that was not good on a journey.

"I was thinking...if you and the children would like to come along? It will be several months still before Laith might return on a new trade journey, and it is impossible to know if he have managed to find a way to contact your family yet…"

She could see his point, and why not take a chance to see more of this Kingdom that she had ended up in? It would be nice to get a different view as well, and after spending basically her whole marriage stuck on Dragonstone with the small court there outside the unwelcomed events at Harrendal, Elia wanted to travel again now when she had a chance to do so. After all, she had not been looking for a husband just in Dorne but in several other places of Westeros as well.

"I would love to, but what about Rhaenys and Aegon? They do not have any other relatives here to be caring for them."

"There will be a few wagons with us to carry food and some other necessary things that neither we nor the horses can bear. They can travel in one of the wagons if they are tired of riding in front of us in the saddle."

That was a good solution, Elia had to agree. It meant that Rhaenys and Aegon could come along, without her needing to fear for them while she was away despite that Mereliss and Laywyn would be able to care for her children together with the maids.

"Then let us go to my feder and tell him of what we have agreed on."

~X~X~X~X~X~X

A few days after that the group of travellers had left Edoras, at a home owned by one of the noble families in Rohan:

"For the last time, Cearo! Can you not _bother to learn_ anything useful for your future life as a married wife and mother!?"

Sunniva, a former court lady at Meduseld who had once been a possible choice as a bride for Théodred before she had fallen in love and married a husband from the Westfold, was currently not in a good mood. Not because of her husband or one of their young children, but rather someone she happened to share blood with:

Her ten year younger sister, Cearo, who had became her ward since the death of their elderly father two years ago. However, Cearo were not exactly willing to learn what she needed to know for her marriage, and proved to be difficult and rebellious in so many ways that Sunniva had began to lose patience.

"What is the use of learning sewing and other boring stuff when we have servants to do that?" Cearo responded in a bored voice. That she was already turning around to walk over to the stable as she had been planning before Sunniva showed up, revealed her lack of respect for her older sister.

"Look me in the eyes when I am talking to you!"

Sunniva was a tall woman, like all of the Rohirrim, and thanks to being a fully grown adult, she had little trouble taking hold of her sister's arm and force her around.

"Every woman, no matter their social status, have to learn those "boring tasks" as you calls it, because it is a matter of survival! What if your own clothes or your husband's gets torn and it has to be mended, with no servant to do it? What if you are travelling with him, and he is injured in a such manner that prevents him from cooking his own food over the fire? Would you like your neighbors or guests enter an unclean house under your control, where they risk catching lice or any other form of vermin that also spreads diseases!?"

However, Cearo had that facial expression again which indicated that she did not care to listen.

"I don't even want to get married, like all the other girls here. And why do I have to look forwards to have the same stupid life as you, when I comes of age in two years?! I want to be a shieldmaiden and win glory in battle!"

Again that foolish nonsense that Cearo had been repeating ever since she had her first moonly visitor two years ago, that marked her no longer as a girl and more as a very young woman.

"_**In times of war, it is even more important for every woman that is of age and able of childbearing, to become pregnant because our men are facing the risk of not coming back home alive from a battle! If we are not doing our best to restore the population of Rohan, for all of that it will take another 18 years before the sons are of age, then our kingdom risks to be weakened because it is far too few men to defend our borders!**_"

Their argument were now loud enough to be heard across the courtyard, and the servants knew from before what it must be about.

"Miss Cearo is having dangerous thoughts. It is understandable that not all young people wants to marry and have children, but she fails to realize that her behavior is not going to win her any suitors at all in the future."

"If this keeps on, lady Sunniva will kick the miss out of the house as soon as she is of age and lock the door to show that she is no longer welcome to live under her roof, because miss Cearo will bring shame on her sweoster and brothor-in-law in some way if she does not start realize soon that her actions have consequences."

Suddenly they saw their lord came, and hurried back to their work instead so they would not be caught in the middle of gossiping. Erkenbrand had heard the argument between his wife and her younger sister, knowing that it could very well come to blows if he did not do anything.

"Sunniva? What is going on?"

With the older sister hearing the voice of her husband, Cearo took the chance to escape.

"What...Cearo! Come back here, I am not done talking with you!"

But it was too late, Cearo had requested her horse to be ready earlier and she now rode out though the gate in the palisade around the large house owned by Erkenbrand and the belonging village.

Cursing loudly over that she had to endure a such irresponsible sibling, Sunniva faced her husband.

"Do not ask what ideas she had in her head now. You are already familiar with how she acts and thinks about the basic skills every woman should know."

Erkenbrand nodded, knowing how it tormented his younger wife to deal with this situation. Sunniva had been the only surviving child of her parents until her tenth year, when her already older mother had gone through her final attempt of childbirth, and the father had been left with two daughters to care for, one daughter who would be old enough for marriage only eight years later and a newborn, since his wife had been too weak after the birth to live longer than seven days later. The sisters had never been close due to the age difference between them and vastly different characters.

"Come, let us continue the preparations of having the Prince visit our home. Perhaps meeting our shared good friend might bring some cheer into your days for a while."

Prince Théodred had not felt offended when Sunniva had admitted that she felt better off as a friend to him, or that she had fallen for Erkenbrand instead. It was not the first time the Prince had struggled with finding someone he likened enough as a possible bride, after all.

"Oh, our son wants some milk for his meal!" Sunniva realized when she heard a loud cry from a baby inside the house and felt her milk-filled bosom react, it was only three months since she had given birth to a second son, after all, and he was till too young to be fed more solid food.

Erkenbrand allowed her to rush back indoors so their son could get his milk, and then ordered some of his men to ride after Cearo so she did not find herself in some foolish situation again.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

While the journey might not seem so exciting for those who were natives of Rohan, Elia still enjoyed it. Rhaenys and Aegon were in big wonder over what was happening, and both had a lot of questions about all things they saw from the wagon.

One evening, after that her children had fallen asleep after getting worn out by playing with the guards, did Elia take the chance to ask something she had been wondering about for a while, especially since she learned that Théodred was only a few months younger than herself:

"Théodred...how come that you do not have a wife? You are old enough for that, at least."

He almost choked on the water from his water skin at the unexpected question, but managed to cough up the water from his throat.

"...aunt Laywyn revealed that I have spent nearly ten years without even coming close to a betrothal, huh?"

"Ah...it is just that...where I was born, men and women come of age at sixteen, and with you being almost twenty-eight along with being your father only child…"

This was getting awkward, Elia understood. But for her, with having a younger brother who was drawn to both genders and Ashara confessing her actual feelings for Elia only a few short days before they had been separated on the ship that would take Elia and her children to King's Landing on the orders from Aerys, the princess of Dorne was well aware of that there was men and women who did not possess a sex drive at all. That was one of the the benefits of being born in Dorne, so that she had learned that not all couples was made of a man and woman. However, as the only heir to the throne of Rohan though his father, Théodred was perhaps not having that much freedom about his own choice in a future spouse.

"I am not drawn to my own gender or shunning marriage altogether, but I have trouble to feel any connection with the previous ladies that was suggested to be my wife. So far, all of them have agreed that we are better off as friends, and most of them have found a different husband instead."

Oh, perhaps he was one of those people who needed a emotional bond to a future spouse first, then? Well, Elia did not intend to ask anymore, she had simply been curious.

Finally, after many days of travel, they arrived to where they would be staying in the Westfold. Théodred had sent a messenger ahead to Erkenbrand and Sunniva to let them know, as well a quickly written letter to explain why Elia and her children had come along. He did not want people to mistake her as a royal mistress, not only because it would be a terrible misunderstanding on the basis of Elia being a foreigner with no husband in sight, but also harmful for her self-image.

"Welcome, my Prince, to our home," Erkenbrand greeted his future King, and his household joined him in a formal bow. Sunniva had her youngest child in her arms, a legal excuse to not do so as well since that could risk that she dropped her son.

"How pleasant that you have brought guests with you, my friend. A good protector does not leave those he protects unguarded," Sunniva smiled at Théodred, and even Elia felt welcome when the two women were presented to each other. Young as they were, Rhaenys and Aegon had no trouble finding friends in Sunniva's older son and a few children of the household servants, all them running off to play somewhere in the house.

"I hope that you have not been met by suspicion during your time in Edoras? Foreigners are not common here in the Mark, unless it is visitors from Gondor," Sunniva managed to whisper to Elia before her infant son demanded her attention again.

"No, everyone have been kind, since the prince saved my life."

Then a sole rider showed up though the gate. A young woman, not quite old enough to be of age, dark-haired and dressed in a blue dress…

The likeness to another person, whom she would have liked to forget, was impossible to ignore. For a moment, Elia was back in Harrendal, on that horrible day when her faith in Rhaegar had been broken.

"_Lyanna Stark!?_"

Then it all became too much in her mind, the memories and everything else she associated with the Stark girl, and dark spots danced in front of her vision.

"Elia? Lady Elia!"

Strong hands who caught her before she hit the ground, but Elia was not quite aware of that someone calling for the servants to help her inside to lay down on a bed, and a feminine voice scolding Cearo for riding out in her finest dress.

"Will I never...be free of her ghost?!"

Then the world became black, and Elia lost her consciousness, haunted by the memory of Rhaegar giving the wreath of blue winter roses to Lyanna Stark in front of all the High Lords of Westeros, openly showing that he felt nothing for his legal Dornish wife.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

author note:

Flowering is a euphemism for a girl's first menstrual period in Westeros. The blood is the seal of womanhood. It means that she is now fit to be wedded and bedded.

Elia is referring to Lyanna as the wolf girl instead of the she-wolf, due to Lyanna being 11 years younger than herself and thus Elia would likely think of her as a girl instead of a young woman. Also, keep in mind that this was the girl who Rhaegar chose over Elia to be the Queen of Love and Beauty, so she is not exactly holding any warm feelings towards Lyanna for various reasons

Cearo is a Anglo-Saxon name meaning "sorrow", while Sunniva means "gift of the sun" in the same language

sweoster = sister in Anglo-Saxon, I could not find any word for brother-in-law so I had to improvise with simply adding brothor in place of the "brother" part

I imagine that Théodred is demisexual, meaning that he does not experience sexual attraction to another person unless or until he have formed an emotional connection with that person. That is the main struggle with his failure of finding a wife


	18. Chapter 18

_**Hauntings from the past**_

Author's note: A little bit of a fair warning, in this chapter I am using a OC to address what I see as a big problem among ASOIAF and GOT fandom about Lyanna's personality and behavior with all the events that led to Robert's Rebellion, and their honestly disdainful claims that since Elia is Dornish, she should be fine with Rhaegar taking a mistress.

This chapter is also a little reality check about how important it actually is to know how to cook food and sewing, both in RL and fantasy

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Although Elia's reaction at seeing Cearo was very much unexpected, it was clear that the sight of the sixteen-year-old young woman in her blue dress must have been a trigger of some kind. That fact that she paled very fast before fainting, told everyone that it was not anything pleasant about whatever the trigger was. But the name she had almost shouted, was perhaps a hint.

"_**WHY ARE YOU OUT RIDING IN YOUR FINEST DRESS!? It is meant to be worn rarely at important events only, and as your dress to wear the day you gets married!**_" Sunniva screeched at seeing what her sister was wearing, the blue dress she had weaved from rare cotton fabric traded from Gondor, and which was not even close to being finished since it still lacked the planned embroidery on the neckline, bodice and lower shirt. By the hunting horn of Béma, was Cearo slow-witted or just plain selfish to the point of refusing to realize that every action had its consequences?!

"Sunniva, is there a bed we can borrow…?" Théodred started to ask where he still held the unconscious Elia in his arms, but seeing how she was scolding Cearo for messing up in a important situation, Erkenbrand offered to show the way instead.

Once indoors, Elia was gently placed on a bed, and a kind maid hurried to get a small glass bottle with smelling salts to wake her up.

"Elia, are you feeling alright?"

No, she did not feel alright in this moment, but how would she explain her reaction when she did not know the right words for the whole situation that had ruined her marriage in Rohirric? That this unknown girl happened to be nearly a dead-ringer for the woman-girl who Rhaegar had chosen to be the mother of his longed-for Visenya, the daughter who Elia could never bear because Rhaenys and Aegon was actually born too close in age for her to heal properly before the next pregnancy and that her son's dangerous birth had made her unable to have more children?

"There, out with you and greet our guests properly this time!"

Sunniva had, with some help of the maids, forcefully dragged Cearo into a different chamber to strip her out of the blue dress and instead dressed her in a pale orange dress that must have been dyed with onion skins. The adolescent girl had also gotten her dark hair into a pull-through braid to look more respectable for the guests, even with the sour look on her face as she dropped a curtsy which did not seem to be something she had trained much on, and now Elia could spot some differences between Cearo and Lyanna Stark:

Cearo was much taller than Lyanna with not quite so slim of waist, and her female curves, both upwards and downwards, was already a size where it would be very hard to her to be able to pass off herself as a young man in trousers and tunic, even with binding her chest. Also at a close up, Cearo had blue eyes like most people in Rohan unlike the famed Stark grey eyes and her face covered in freckles, betraying that Rohan was more south than the North of Westeros.

"My apologies for what I caused earlier," Cearo forced herself to say, not sounding like she really meant the apology and Elia was once again reminded of how the Targaryen royal court treated her. Somehow, this stop at the journey across Rohan did not seem so promising.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

The following days, Elia was more quiet than normally even around her children, showing all the signs of a unpleasant memory haunting her. Also, Cearo seemed to view her as a perfect target for unpleasant comments or behavior when no one saw it happening, based on the first impression that Elia must be a weakling if she fainted like that.

Still, Sunniva proved herself a good hostess and the two women found a common ground in how it was to be a mother of small children.

"Look at my son and your daughter, they really get along well."

Indeed Rhaenys was playing with the oldest son of the house, while Aegon was more happy to silently play with a soft knitted toy sheep not far from the older children. But the sound outside the weaving chamber, told them also that Cearo must have left her intended lessons in what a woman had to know here in Rohan no matter what her social status.

"Will she...be hard to marry off if she does not learn household skills before coming of age?" Elia dared to ask carefully. Sunniva sighed deeply, pulling up her infant son to her shoulder so he could burp after just nursing at her breast.

"Yes, she will not be able to find a husband without those skills, because that basically means that she would be unable to take care of herself in a situation where she is all alone. No cooking skills means starvation or risk to food poisoning yourself. Spinning, weaving and sewing does not only mean that you can do your own clothing, but you can help out in first aid if it is possible. A clean house avoids a rumor of laziness, and guests feel more welcome if they do not need to be in a house at risk of illness."

Cearo insisting on look down on those life skills and knowledge that was so natural to know among her fellow females, and instead dreaming of winning glory in battle, meant that she risked to get herself killed at a young age because she wanted to stand out in some way that would be impossible to hide from others.

As the sun was warming the day, Elia brought her children with her outside.

"Mama, I do not like her…that dark-haired lady," Rhaenys whispered from where she tugged on the shirt of her mother, as Aegon currently was up in Elia's arms, using the common tongue of Westeros.

"I have to agree with you, dearie. It is no wonder that lady Sunniva is so cross with her sister, when she acts like this. At least you proves yourself well-behaved to our hosts."

Rhaenys brightened up in joy over the praise. Unfortunately, an unwelcome voice was heard:

"As if a _**Harad whore and her bastards**_ have any chances of staying here in Rohan for long."

Cearo stood there, dressed in trousers and tunic as if that dressing style made her superior to the other women in the household who dressed in everyday dresses. Elia now knew Harad to be a country in the distant south, and she had agreed with Théodred about that she would do best in claiming to be a widow in distress who he had saved from death, as that was close to the truth without her growing suspicions that she had somehow ended up in a completely different world, but some of the words Cearo just used was unknown for her.

"I beg your pardon, but are you acting like this because you currently are _riding the crimson wave_ and you know that your sister will only strike back verbally if you uses that tone against her?"

As a woman herself, Elia knew how annoying that monthly visitor could be for any fertile woman old enough to suffer through it, but she had never allowed that female body detail to be a reason for rudeness.

Apparently Cearo had not expected her to respond in quite clear Rohirric despite her foreign dialect, or did not know the euphemism Elia had used. Anyway, the Rohirrim girl grew dark in her face out of anger, mistaking it as that Elia had insulted her.

"_**DAMNED HARADRIM SLUT!**_"

And then hell broke loose.

It was the shrill screams and crying from the children outside that alarmed Théodred in the middle of being shown the the most important events laterly on the map of this region of Rohan.

"Elia!" he gasped when he heard Rhaenys crying for her mother, dropping what he had in his hands and rushed out though the doors with Erkenbrand quickly behind.

Elia had been forced to drop Aegon on the ground in order to avoid that he was hit by Cearo's closed fist towards her own face. Of course, the toddler was not happy at all over it and wailed loudly as poor Rhaenys was indecisive about the whole situation; comforting her little brother, try to help her mother against Cearo or running off to get help.

"Elia!"

"She attacked mama! She said...she said something strange and then she turned all angry and tried to hit mama..." Rhaenys cried as Théodred came running to see the scene. He gave her a quick pat on the head to show that he was not angry on her, Aegon being handed by one of his guards who was a familiar face for the small boy.

Unfortunately, everyone who had gathered in the front yard, could hear what Cearo currently snarled at Elia:

"Do you think that by _**sharing the prince's bed**_ and using whatever things you uses in bed to ensnare him, you are free to live here as if you were one of us despite being a foreigner! That your bastards by him will be viewed as legal heirs to the House of Eorl?"

Again, Elia could have sworn that it was Lyanna Stark, and not Cearo, in front of her in this moment. She did not understand all the words, but the tone, the manner of speaking, she recalled all too well. About that she, being from Dorne, was unworthy as the future Queen consort of Westeros and that she should not make a such fuss about Rhaegar running away with Lyanna to become his paramour. The undying claims of both men and women from Dorne sexual licentiousness

"**STOP HAUNTING MY LIFE, YOU CURSED WOLF-GIRL! AS IF YOU WERE FREE TO RUN OFF FROM YOUR PLANNED MARRIAGE TO BE WITH MY HUSBAND, LYANNA STARK!**"

While Elia's health had never allowed any weapon training, she knew how to use a dagger for self-defense at least. Grabbing hold of Cearo's arm and pulling her closer before holding the dagger upwards like she had been taught, she then slammed the pommel down into Cearo's forehead. It was not strong enough to make the girl unconscious, but it gave Elia enough time to back a few steps so there was more distance between them.

Théodred took the chance to act, and hastily gave Cearo a first-hand lesson about that he were not afraid of striking a woman if needed. Tossing the surprised girl over one shoulder, the Prince of Rohan kept her face-down in the dust with one knee on her back and one arm forced behind her back to ensure that she remained still or she would have her shoulder dislocated.

"Let me go! Why did you bring that southern woman and her brats here!? They do not belong here in Rohan!"

Elia twitched visibly at the words, as Sunniva was checking her over for possible injuries.

"I am seeing why Sunniva and Erkenbrand have such trouble to make you understand the consequences of your words and actions, young lady. Whatever you think, Elia is _**NOT **_that kind of woman as you claim her to be, nor are her children sired by me! Do you honestly think that a such relationship is what prevents me from a legal marriage, or what?!"

Having lovers before marriage was not common in Rohan, given their culture of honestly. Perhaps to gain some experiences before the wedding night, but to openly cheat on a spouse? No, that was punishable by law.

"Sunniva, Erkenbrand. Do you not agree that if Cearo is failing so badly to understand why neglecting necessary life skills, is basically doing to end up with her being unmarried for life?"

Using his authority as the Prince of Rohan, Théodred ordered that Cearo was to be locked up in one of the sheds overnight with no food or water until the coming morning. The next part of her punishment for attacking Elia would be agreed with Sunniva and Erkenbrand, as they were their guardians since the death of the sisters' elderly father two years ago.

Her selfish behavior had gone too far this time.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

No one was surprised by Elia requesting some time to be alone. The attacks from Cearo, both physical and verbal, had to hurt deeply, and her body language spoke of that this might not be the first time she had suffered it. In Edoras there had been no problem as people had seen Théodred arrive with the small family the previous summer and knew that Elia most likely risked death if she left the protection Rohan offered.

But Cearo had reminded her of that there would always be people who viewed her in a different light, and in a far more unpleasant way.

"Elia? Did Cearo...remind you of someone who was...not kind to you?"

He joined her on the wooden bench after being given permission to do so. As Théodred had no idea of her past or what had happened to ruin her marriage, Elia did not feel offended by that he tried to say the question in a neutral manner. It simply showed that he did his best to not make things worse.

"_**Lyanna Stark is a girl in Cearo's age who my idiotic husband chose for the task to give him the children I could not give him after Aegon.**_"

The words was harsh, bitter as she spoke, fighting against the memories. Some form of rough understanding dawned for Théodred, since Mereliss had been his wet nurse since birth and not been afraid of giving him unexpected information about women and how their bodies worked back when he was a adolescent. The midwife had especially mentioned a few details about pregnancy too soon after a childbirth could affect the health of the mother badly.

"You were not _given enough time_ between Rhaenys and Aegon to heal as you needed, right?"

Rhaenys was fifteen months older than her brother. And with a pregnancy lasting nine months unless Aegon had been born a little early, that could only mean one horrible thing:

That Elia's husband was the type of man who saw his wife as a broodmare in order to have as many children as possible to the cost of her own health, forcing her to carry children as often as she managed to conceive. In fact, a such marriage had been annulled only weeks before he had saved the small family, when a husband had been found out to mistreat his wife in exactly that manner and found himself spending the rest of his life as a convict in a chain-gang, working maintain waterways and other similar dangerous works.

"You would be entitled to annul the marriage for that here in Rohan, for our laws makes it clear that no wife, no matter her social status, should have to ruin her body by courtless pregnancies to the cost of her health."

The next morning, it was found that Cearo had somehow managed to break out from the shed during the night, stealing food from the kitchen and riding off with her own horse.

"That foolish girl! Does she think that she can escape her punishment for what happened yesterday by becoming a warrior?!" Sunniva lamented, feeling that her sister had gotten into really deep trouble this time. Everything suggested that Cearo had left with only the clothes on her back and a sword, nothing else that could offer protection if she ran into orcs.

"We will find her, I promise, and she will spend the two remaining years to her coming of age in a punishment that temporarily degrades her to a commoner and forces her to learn those feminine skills for her own survival," Erkenbrand promised his despairing wife, hiding his own anger over how his young sister-in-law acted as if she could do things without punishment to correct her behavior.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Two weeks later, Cearo had once again found out that running away had, in truth, been a horrible idea.

"Just how hard is it to remove blood stains from clothes, really?!"

She had not eaten for two days now, the stolen food having run out three days now. She had been forced to face her own failure in cooking when she had no idea how to identify any edible herbs, and her attempts of building up a campfire had not gone well either.

Two weeks in the same clothes had left her smelly and dirty, her tunic having a few tears that she had no way of mending without needle and thread. This morning, she had also woken up to find herself with nothing to stop the blood from her monthly visitor to leave strains on her trousers, and by having no second set of clothes with her, this forced Cearo to walk half-naked into the stream and try to wash away the blood.

"Cold!" she screamed at feeling the temperature with her bare feet, but she had no choice but to walk further out deeper. The clothes had to be washed and dried before she could ride further away, with no actual direction in mind, her goal being to get as far away as she could from her sister and the royal guests.

"Why did the prince defend that whore? As if she had anything to charm him with, skinny as a stick and ugly as well!"

Cearo was so focused on trying to wash her clothes clean, that she failed to notice the orc too late. If only she could grab her sword…

"Die, you foul crea….?!"

The orc was faster than what Cearo had thought. With a arrow in her throat before she could even finish her supposed war cry, she found her life ended at the young age of sixteen, a victim of her own actions and thoughtlessness, dying far away with home, with no one around, instead of winning glory in battle as she had dreamed about from a young age.

It was not for nothing that Elia had thought Cearo alike Lyanna Stark in appearance and behavior.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

"by the hunting horn of Béma" is my idea of what might be a expression in Rohan, used to express various feelings akin to "Jesus Christ" in RL

Given the culture of Rohan that is seen in the books and movies, I think their most common fabrics are made from wool and linen. Finer fabrics such as cotton, is likely imported or traded from Gondor, and only available to the nobility and the royal family.

Also, think of how time consuming is to make clothes without modern machines: first you need to gather the fibers and spin them into thread by the use of a distaff unless you have a spinning wheel, then you needs to weave all the thread into fabric on a loom, once that is done you need to cut out the pieces and sew them together. Historically, textiles was very valuable just because of all the time and labor it took to make them

As for Sunniva also mentioning the blue dress to be Cearo's planned wedding dress, the trend with a white wedding dress started with Queen Victoria on her wedding in 1840, in the RL Middle Ages brides from wealthy families often wore rich colors and exclusive fabrics. It was common to see them wearing bold colors and layers of furs, velvet and silk. Brides dressed in the height of current fashion, with the richest materials their families' money could buy. The poorest of brides wore their best church dress on their wedding day. Basically, you wore the finest dress you owned on the day you was a bride.


	19. Chapter 19

_**Legend of the unknown Sailor**_

It was now roughly nine months since Elia, Rhaenys and Aegon had vanished from the Red Keep. The mysterious disappearance of the wife and children of the late Rhaegar Targaryen was a mystery, which many pondered over.

Among them was, naturally, the Martell family in Sunspear. Doran and Oberyn used everything in their power to try and get news about their missing sister alongside her two children, in the hope of at least know what had happened beyond that they seemed to have been saved by a mysterious hedge knight before Tywin Lannister's men could kill the small family.

"Bloody Tywin Lannister and his goal of making his descendants a part of the royal family!"

At the moment, Oberyn was trying to clear his head by some light sparring against the city guards, and for a good reason. His father Ihsan had not taken the news of Elia vanishing well, the former Prince consort of Dorne had a special bond to his only daughter as neither one was in the best of health and understandably been horrified by how she had been treated by the Targaryen prince.

"Father is like a shadow of himself ever since our mother Aria died, and the news of the Sack did not do any wonders for his health…"

Oberyn prayed for that there would be a sign from Elia about that she, Rhaenys and Aegon was alive, so his father would gain some joy back in his life. He loved all his grandchildren, of course, but the two children from Elia had never met their maternal grandfather and as things was right now, it was impossible to say if Ihsan would get a chance to see them.

"_Girls! _Do not chase your poor grandfather like that, you know that his lungs are not the best!" Oberyn cried out at hearing the voices of his daughters, followed by a very familiar wheezing and other sounds caused by shortness of breath that he had heard from his father ever since his birth whatever Ihsan strained himself.

After sending the young Sand Snakes to help the servants clean the whole palace as punishment, Oberyn helped Ihsan back to his own chambers so he could rest.

"Sorry about the girls, father, I should have kept them under control better."

Taking a such deep breath as he managed, Ihsan could now breathe a little more normally, though he was slightly out of breath by the stairs up to the chambers for his afternoon rest. Somehow, despite the suggestions of his sons, Ihsan refused to move out from his private sleeping chamber that he had used ever since his wedding to the late Aria Martell, saying that he would only move out when he was too old to climb the stairs everyday.

"They knows that I am sad about Elia and their little cousins, and tries to cheer me up in the way they know best. Do not be too harsh on them, Oberyn."

Oberyn nodded, but he stayed with his father until that Ihsan had fallen asleep on the soft bed and the cooling winds from the sea though the open window to avoid overheating from the sun.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Doran was busy as always in his duties as Prince of Dorne, trying to finish as much as possible before lunch. His wife Mellario had already planned where to seek protection from the incoming afternoon heat, and their children would most likely be found with their cousins.

"_Oh, joy._ What a joy indeed, to read that Cersei Lannister is already pregnant with a heir to the Baratheon dynasty. The Old Lion must be really proud of his daughter getting married to a Storm King instead of the Dragon Prince."

That letter was tossed into a small jar meant to paper scraps that could be used to light candles with. It felt as a mockery, a painful reminder of that his own nephew Aegon would perhaps never sit on the Iron Throne as the real King of Westeros. On the other hand, given what her marriage to the Targaryen prince had resulted in, Doran could really imagine that Elia would not want her son to become King.

"Perhaps it would be better if Rhaenys and Aegon never claimed the throne and instead lives as such normal life as they can? That would make less worries for Elia about their lives, for sure…"

Suddenly, his hand touched a new letter at the very end of the pile of letters he had to read and response to before lunch. It was a rougher parchment, not quite as elegant as he was used to. There was not wax seal, but the hand-drawn coat of arms made in ink was that of House Martell. And the words of their House:

_Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken_

And in tiny letters, as if to confirm who the sender was:

_Elia Nymeros Martell, Rhaenys Myriah Targaryen, Aegon Maron Targaryen_

His hands shaking from mixed emotions, hoping for good news and also fearing the worst, Doran opened the letter to read. What he found, was enough to make him run out from his office.

"_**Father! Oberyn! Elia have sent a letter! We have a letter from Elia! She and her children are alive! THEY ARE ALIVE, ALL THREE OF THEM!**_"

Finally some good news, indeed.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Once the news had been shared with the whole family, Ihsan actually crying in relief over that he could finally know that his only daughter and her two children were still alive, and the first excitement had passed, Oberyn and Doran could look closer on what Elia had written.

"Rohan? That is a name I have never heard about…she writes that it is a kingdom, but based on what she mentions, it can not be a newly founded kingdom either..." Doran muttered as he brought out a map over the known world. The rough map of the south of Middle-earth, which Elia had managed to copy rather well and carefully marked where Rohan was, did not help since it did not match any place in Essos.

Ihsan had remained silent for now, but when he saw the map Elia had drawn, he seemed to recall something.

"Give me a few moments, boys, I need to bring something from the library."

They did not need to wait for more than half a hour at most, before Ihsan returned back to the chamber, a maid servant helping him to carry a large and very old book.

"Middle-earth...Middle-earth…and the name Isildur from that other Kingdom she mentions...here!"

Ihsan flipped up the right page. It was about a legend hailing from the times roughly at the start of the Valyrian Freehold.

"A long time ago, a lone ship arrived from the East. An old man, and three servants. They spoke a unknown language, and did not live long in this world, for they were ill after spending many months on the sea. The few words the old man would mention often, was just Middle-earth, the place where he likely had intended to sail to, and the names of his family. His son, Elendil, and two grandsons, Isildur and Anárion. In the fever that would take his life, he said something about a Great Shadow, a punishment from the Gods...and pleading for the lives of his family to the very last breath. His last word was something sounding like _Elros Tar-Minyatur._"

Based on how long time that had passed since this mysterious sailor had shown up, the legend was at least four thousand years old. But in the old book, there was at least a mention of his name, otherwise forgotten with time:

_Amandil, Lord of Andúnië_

And there was another map, copied from the map the sailor had brought with him. If they were comparing the two maps, it was obvious that Rohan probably hadn't existed that long ago, since the Valyrian Freehold had existed for five thousand years. It had to be a Kingdom founded much later.

"Look, that area...that is where Rohan must be on the more current map!"

Grabbing a quill each alongside some parchment, the two sons and their father began to write a letter each to Elia, in the hope of that one of those three letters might reach her. At least they now knew that she was in good hands, and that her new protectors wished to help her return home to Dorne.

"Perhaps this Amandil ended up in the known world here, far away from his own home, as a sign of that his Gods had some plan for the distant future?"

They could not know the answer, of course, but if it was a sign of something positive, it was a welcomed one.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

In canon the parents of the Martell siblings are unnamed, but I chose the name Ihsan for their father and Aria for their mother, the former ruling Princess of Dorne, for a one-shot about Elia's relationship with her family. Ihsan is intended to hail from House Jordayne as a third son, and he suffers from a mild form of asthma, which is the reason behind his less than good health

Ihsan is a Arabic name meaning Beneficence, kindness

The mentioned unborn Baratheon heir is not Joffrey, as there is a mention of Cersei giving birth to a legal son of Robert who died as a infant. Since Mandos and the Stranger made a deal about Elia, Rhaenys and Aegon surviving in exchange of Joffrey being stillborn, this future Baratheon heir will be the Crown prince instead for this AU along with Cersei not manage to abort more of Robert's trueborn children for various reasons she can not control, so Myrcella and Tommen will have several half-siblings with the real Baratheon appearance

My headcanon is that Elia secretly gave her children an extra name to highlight their Dornish lineage, after the two Martell siblings, Myriah who married Daeron II and and Maron who married Daenerys Targaryen, the 19 years older sister to Daeron

Amandil was the leader of the Faithful in Númenor, and came to be the eighteenth and last Lord of Andúnie. His life as Lord of Andúnie and as one of the Faithful sired the High Kings of Gondor and Arnor who preserved their ways through the Dúnedain of Middle-earth on up to Aragorn II Elessar. Elendil the Tall was his son.

Amandil did not trust Sauron when the latter was brought as a prisoner to Númenor, and sensing the impending doom of Númenor, he urged his son Elendil not to interfere in the upcoming war, but to expect, and prepare for, a forced departure from the island. He himself decided to set sail for Valinor, there to plead with the Valar for forgiveness and mercy for the Númenórean people, since at least a few had remained faithful. He departed into the West either SA 3310 or SA 3316, just before the Great Armament was ready to launch in an attempt to reach Valinor and save Númenor. He set sail in a small ship with three servants dear to him (though no names are given for them) at night from Rómenna steering East, like it was his goal to reach Middle-earth, but soon he turned and journeyed into the West. He never returned, and was never heard from again.


	20. Chapter 20

**Wanted and unwanted**

The guests had spent two days helping Erkenbrand and Sunniva to search for Cearo, before they had to move on to the next stop of their journey. Théodred could not stay for long at one place during this journey around Rohan unless there was a legal reason such as him suffering an injury or a illness that would make him unable to ride.

"When she is found, bring her at once to the closest camp where we put criminals that will do manual labor as part of their sentence. She will spend the remaining two years until her coming-of-age there, with the reality of being stripped of her status as a noble, and find out the hard way that everyone in our sociality must know basic skills for survival," Théodred ordered to Erkenbrand, who nodded in agreement.

"Yes, there is no way she will escape punishment for attacking a lady who is under your protection, my prince. She is old enough to understand that, and can not pretend to be one of those unfortunate persons who are half-wits because everyone in this household and that of her dead father can testify that she is normal."

His young sister-in-law had this final chance to redeem herself, and become a respectable young lady to be a wife later. While understandable that Cearo did not desire to be merely a wife and mother in adulthood, the truth was that she had a duty to bear one child if she wanted what she viewed as freedom. This was simply how things was, if all young women went away in battle to be shield-maidens there would not be any promises of that many of their numbers would return alive. And Rohan needed its population to grow steady, the one who died replaced by the younger generations.

How could they have known, that Cearo would find her death 12 days later at the hands of a orc, dying alone and with nothing of the success she had dreamed about to add to her name?

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Helm's Deep was the shared name of both a valley and its major defensive structure built from stone, named the Hornborg because a horn sounded from its tower could be heard in the whole Deep. It was perhaps simple in the eyes of Westeros, but Elia did not doubt Théodred when he told her that it was the strongest point of Rohan.

"King Brego thought it wiser to have the capital of Rohan closer to Dunharrow, a refuge in the White Mountains, in case of attack. He felt that Aldburg, the first capital, was too far away from good protection."

"It is a good defense," Elia said, feeling herself stuck with awe over it. Based on what she could guess, Helm's Deep had not originally been built by the Rohirrim, given that their buildings was made from wood, but of a different culture. That realization made her curious.

The group was welcomed by Gamling, who was Erkenbrand's lieutenant, and the leader of the watchers of Helm's Dike.

"My prince, it is a honor to be your host during the days you and your companies will be here."

Though somehow, Théodred was not surprised at all when Gamling leaned slightly towards him and whispered in a low voice:

"Given that the boy look a little like you, my prince, be ready on some gossip about whatever he might be yours."

The prince made a face at those words, and Gamling understood the request to speak no more of it.

"If I ever had sired a child before marriage, I would take responsibility by at least ensuring that the mother is not ostracized and taken care of, for sharing a bed with me at some point and she chose to keep the child instead of aborting at some point during the first two months of pregnancy with the help of the local midwife."

For all of that Mareliss could sometimes give him a little bit too much unwanted information about pregnancy and childbirth, thanks to her being his wet-nurse, Théodred had at least learned from early adolescence that there could be _consequences _of sharing a bed with a girl. Besides, illegitimate children was actually pretty rare in the House of Eorl, mainly because the Kings of Rohan wanted to avoid a succession crisis in the shape of children born from a love-relationship before a legal marriage that could threaten the legal heirs born from a wife.

On the other hand, Gamling hoped that Théodred being around Elia and her children could hopefully renew the hope of that the prince would eventually find a bride, for the two children showed how Théodred actually was surprisingly patient around them despite their young age.

Rhaenys and Aegon was also in awe over the Hornburg, as they explored the keep after getting to rest a little bit.

"Rhae! Rhae!"

Aegon tried to follow after his sister, when he suddenly stopped in front of the doors to the chamber with wooden tables where they had eaten a light welcome meal with the adults earlier. The sun light were very bright here, and for some reason Aegon thought that he heard the voice of King Théoden despite that the King of Rohan was all way back in Edoras:

_Where is the horse and the rider?_

_Where is the horn that was blowing?_

_They have passed like rain on the mountains,_

_like wind in the meadow._

_The days have gone down in the West,_

_behind the hills... into Shadow._

For a moment, Aegon did really see the King there in the chamber, standing with his back towards the door as someone dressed him into armour. But as the boy blinked for a moment, the two adults was no longer there.

"Aegon?" Rhaenys called, confused over why he had stopped following her. Since their mother had asked her to not stray away from her brother, Rhaenys knew that she must keep a eye on him. And this keep was a unfamiliar place, one where they could easily get lost in.

"Wait, sis!"

Aegon himself had no idea about it due to his young age, and Elia could impossibly know it either because of how young her son was, but he was one of the Targaryens that normally would be haunted by dragon dreams, which here in Middle-earth, due to Arda being a different world altogether, changed into that he had some degree of second sight.

What Aegon just had seen without understanding its deeper meaning right now, was that in thirteen years a big battle in the War of the Ring would be happening here in Helm's Deep, in the year 3019 of the Third Age.

Rhaenys did not have those powers, but the rhyme Mereliss had spoken the morning on her birthday was true about her season of birth as well: A gentle heart that could be a strength in itself if a person knew how to be in guard for people with ill intentions.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

In Edoras, the rest of the royal family was busy in their own way. Since it was a fine spring day with some warmth from the sun, they had taken the chance to be outside and enjoy the fine weather.

"Bad news, uncle?" Éowyn asked the King at his side as Théoden was reading a letter from his son, while Éomer once again was trying to keep Balaerion off his head. The now nearly fully grown black cat clearly liked the various members of the House of Eorl, although his methods of showing affection could be somewhat questionable.

"In a way, guess. It seems like the younger sister to Sunniva, Erkenbrand's wife, tried to attack lady Elia on the belief of that she...was not the noble lady she seems to be."

Both the siblings looked shocked.

"What!? But Théodred made sure to write and send a letter ahead to ensure that there would be no misunderstandings about her and her children!" Éowyn protested, recalling how her cousin had not be so happy over the jokes about that people who saw Rhaenys and Aegon for the first time could indeed mistake them as his offspring based on age.

"You mean Cearo, right? She was with them here as visitors this past Midsummer feast, she thought herself the better rider simply because she managed to beat me and a few of my friends in a race. And then she made fun of Éowyn when she tripped over a uneven piece of grass and dropped that cup of cold water that my sister had planned to give me to drink."

No, Cearo had not made any good first impression on the King's nephew and niece. If anything, the older adolescent girl had acted self-important, not caring if she did hurt the feelings of others as long as she was in the right. And the siblings had agreed on that she would never manage to catch their cousin as a husband, they knew that Théodred was more likely to refuse marriage altogether if his possible bride behaved anything like Cearo.

"Please tell me what this foolish girl have done to displeasure you so," Laywyn requested, having taken a small break in her ridning so her mare could rest for a little bit, and now came to join her family where they had gathered.

Once the full tale had been told, both of what had happened at the past midsummer and what Cearo had tried to do against Elia, Laywyn did agree that it was not a acceptable behavior for anyone, no matter their age or gender.

"If a new Queen of Rohan thought it more important to be remembered as a battle-loving shield-maiden than bearing children for the King, she is fated to not be recalled fondly in later generations. I fully understand that no all women wants marriage or children as legacy, being a such woman myself, but even a Queen that sadly is fated to be barren no matter how much help she can get from healers and midwives to try becoming pregnant, can still leave a good legacy behind in the form of being a good counselor to her husband and protector of her people in times of crisis."

That was the legacy of many sisters and brothers to former Kings of Rohan, helping in the government even if they were not present in Edoras and linking all the parts of Rohan together.

After a while, Laywyn rode out again since Éomer and Éowyn had to return to their school lessons, and Théoden also had his duties as King to deal with.

"I will be back soon, Brothor!"

Yet she was not far from the capital and stopped her mare, when she heard the sounds of a new rider arriving. It did not take long for the other rider to show up among the sea of green grass that was one of Rohan's hallmarks. The old man, proving his age by having a long beard of grey faded into white, was dressed in a tall pointed hat, a grey cloak and had a long wooden staff in his packing behind the saddle.

"Are you sure that you are not a disguised elf, since you never seems to pass over to the afterlife?" Laywyn asked bluntly, her arms crossed as if she was disappointed for some reason.

"Taking after your lady mother Morwen in seriousness as always, lady Laywyn. Yet it is the same kind of grace as well. Alas, I have no plans to leave the living world yet, I am afraid," Gandalf the Grey responded, not upset at all over how the daughter of Kings had addressed him.

And in a way, she had a point; he had last been in Rohan nearly four years ago, when her younger sister Théodwyn had died from the illness that had struck her in the grief over becoming a widow.

"You better not be planning anything that proves your name of _Stormcrow _again, as my brother so kindly named you last time you was here in the Mark."

"More like I had hoped for something more joyful, for once."

Biting the inside of her cheek to not say anything, Laywyn simply nodded and led the way back to Edoras, Gandalf following her.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

I do not know if Tolkien have any words for mentally handicapped persons in his works, but I will try and not show any disrespect in the writing. I also do not think people in Rohan would find it funny if someone tried to play dumb for the sake of escaping punishment

In canon it is not really made clear if Gamling serves under Erkenbrand, but since someone has to be commander in Helm's Deep even during peacetime, I thought he could have that role

Aldburg was one of the oldest towns in Rohan and the first capital of the realm, was built by Eorl the Young in the region known as the Folde, east of Edoras. After Brego, son of Eorl, completed the Golden Hall and the Kings removed to Edoras, the lordship of Aldburg passed to his third son, Eofor, from whom Éomund, father of Éomer, claimed descent.

Dunharrow was a refuge of the Rohirrim hidden in the White Mountains south of Edoras and fortified against attack. Dunharrow was a clifftop overlooking Harrowdale, the valley of the river Snowbourn.

Stormcrow was a name given to Gandalf by King Théoden in Rohan, a reference to his arrival being associated with times of trouble. If Théoden lost his brother-in-law and youngest sister roughly around the time as Gandalf did show up in Rohan without warning, that could be a reason to why his arrival became associated with times of trouble.


	21. Chapter 21

**Unknown meetings **

Gondor, Minas Tirith:

"Faramir? Faramir, where are you?"

The oldest of the two sons to the Steward, was looking for his brother. It was just after breakfast, but it was still unusual for Faramir to almost dash for the library as soon as he had finished eating.

"Not here either?"

That left only the old archives as a remaining place to search, a place where Boromir had not been since he was a youngster in the middle of his schooling.

Faramir was indeed there, sitting with only a candle at a table among all the dusty old parchments and endless rows of documents that someone had hardly read in hundreds of years. In fact, it seemed like he just had been looking though the oldest documents that could be found there. And just like Boromir recalled from his last visit, no one seemed to have cleaned away all the dust in this place for years.

"What have brought you here, brother? You are rarely in this part of the archives."

Boromir could just narrowly made out the old written words in Westron on the parchment which Faramir currently was holding carefully in his hands. If his brother had been the Steward instead of their father, it was easy to imagine him giving a order to copy all those old parchments so the knowledge of the past was not lost due to neglect.

"I had a strange dream last night, and I thought that maybe there is a clue somewhere in there."

Oh, no. Boromir knew what that meant, being one of the few to know about it. Faramir sometimes dreamt of the Downfall of Númenor, and there would be other dreams as well at times.

"What, exactly, did you dream about?" Boromir asked with unease as he bent forwards over his side of the table, hoping that it would not be anything that warned about a new battle with orcs in Ithilien.

"To be honest, I am actually a bit confused about this dream too. It was...different from normal. _**Two small golden dragons inside a red sun disc on a orange background, which is attacked by a male lion. Yet somehow, a white stallion arrives and manages to strike the lion with his front hooves, before taking the sun disc and the small dragons with him into a forest.**_ Then it changed, and I saw four young fawns together with two lion cubs in front of what seemed to be a large throne made from melted swords, with two smaller fawns not far away on a large stone out in the sea that was surrounded by a dragon. One of them was eye-catching as it was pure white."

Now Boromir looked at his younger brother with a truly honest look of disbelief. What kind of dream was that? Dreaming about animals, that was not something Faramir normally did.

"I will tell the cooks to serve something different for us to drink today. Exactly what wine did we drink to dinner yesterday?"

Yes, that have to be the reason, a wine that had aged a little too long or something unusual in the food. Faramir did not look completely convinced that it was a dream caused by yesterday's dinner, but he agreed to come back up in the sunny weather and search up the cooks about the new request for what would be served today.

How could the brothers have known, that Faramir actually had dreamed about the signs of House Martell, Baratheon and Lannister, which belonged in a world different from their own Arda? That in the newly created dynasty that had taken over the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms, two of the future royal children would not be a daughter and son sired by Robert Baratheon at all?

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Gandalf had been prepared on that King Théoden would not view his arrival with the greatest of joys, and chose to keep himself out of the way. But his news about events in Gondor was welcomed, for a start.

"I am glad to hear that Faramir is doing a good job as the Captain of the Rangers of Ithilien," Laywyn said with a rare smile. She was fond of the younger son to the Steward of Gondor, enjoyed that he did not live for war and glory but instead loved lore and music as a scholar, and in a way saw him as the son she might have had in a different life. Or maybe it was easier to say that Laywyn would enjoy a son with that kind of personality.

"He asked me to send his greetings to you, my lady, and hopes that there might be a visit of some kind one day."

Oh, the sons of Gondor visiting Rohan? That was a good while ago, since it last had happened. Théodred and Boromir was only a few months apart in age, and respected each other as good warriors and companions whatever they met somewhere at the border between their homelands.

"That would be nice, for the next generation needs to stay together in the times to come. Gondor and Rohan needs to know that they can trust each other."

With the raising reports about orcs attacks, they needed to plan and be careful. Given that Sauron had returned, it was impossible to tell when the inevitable war would come, but no one doubted that it would. It was not a matter if, but _when_.

In a ideal world, it would have been one of Elfhild's duties as a Queen to help Théoden in ruling Rohan, because the Queen were among the King's most trusted allies and confidants. This was because Queens were usually one of the only people, if not the sole person, that Kings spent time alone with, mainly because she was the person to hold his heart by love and sharing his bed at night as part of the marriage. Queens were also in Kings' inner circles of trusted fellows and advisers that served as a part of their entourage and accompanied them most everywhere.

Alas, that had not come to be, with Elfhild lost in childbirth and Théoden refusing to marry a new wife so he could have more heirs sired by himself. And with Éomer and Éowyn still underage with several years left to coming-of-age so they would be counted as adults and able to help their older relatives in ruling Rohan, that left Laywyn to take on some of those duties now when she was back in Edoras with no plans of leaving again.

"At least until that Théodred marries and his wife takes the over the role of being a socialite and hostess for guests that arrived to the royal court. With Elfhild dead, that would make her the First lady of the court from the moment of her marriage."

Her brother did not spoil his only child, no that Laywyn knew to not happen, but the fact that Théodred was still unmarried would not look good in the long run. In a few years, there might be whispers and rumours about that he was like her, not interested in romance or the pleasures found in bed at all. And with no younger siblings to marry and have children instead of him, this would not be a good position for her nephew.

"I hate it...but perhaps it is time to give him a deadline about his marriage. If he does not find a bride on his own before a certain time, we must choose a lady of suitable age and lineage to become his wife in an arranged marriage."

Laywyn was not looking forwards this needed meeting with her brother, for she knew how Théoden desired for his son to find love the natural way.

At the same time, just outside Edoras:

"It will be wonderful to be home again."

Théodred, Elia and the others had been returning to Edoras now, for the King had sent a letter to his son at Helm's Deep that the royal household would be traveling together to Aldburg later this spring, so the Prince and his followers could return home now.

"White! White rider!" Aegon suddenly spoke up from the carriage where he and Rhaenys just had woken up from their nap under a blanket to avoid that the sun burned their skin while sleeping.

"No white horse, brother," Rhaenys protested in a sleepy voice, rubbing her eyes to wake up properly. To be fair, a few of the horses was white but none of them close enough for Aegon to see at once. And Théodred's warhorse Silvermoon were a dapple grey color, while Elia rode a chestnut-coloured mare.

"Aegon, we will see many riders on white horses later. Or is there something else you tries to tell us?"

Elia had no idea what cause her son to babble like that. Was he trying to tell them of a dream, maybe, or what? Anyway, Edoras was not far away so her children could soon play if they wanted.

"You said something about writing a new letter for your family, right?" Théodred wondered, holding in Silvermoon so he and Elia now rode side by side in the front.

"Yes. I know that we can not know if my first two letters for both my brothers might have arrived, but I still want to have another one ready anyway. Besides, I know for sure that they are gonna insist on rewarding you for saving me and the children."

Théodred did not say anything at first, but looking like he was in deep thought. It seemed like he had not been thinking of something like that, given that he simply had reacted on seeing the small family in danger.

"You are already a prince of royal blood and a warrior, so I do not think that a knighthood or a keep with a few belonging villages would be good enough. Maybe a few of our sand steeds to bring in new blood among the horses of Rohan, or perhaps some agreement of trade…"

Elia realized too late that she had been talking aloud, and also switched to the Common Tongue of Westeros somewhere in the middle without noticing. In quickly raising embarrassment, she turned away her face from the Prince of Rohan. However, the expected question in confusion from Théodred never came.

"You know, Rhaenys, I think your mother tried to challenge me in guessing what she just said. Perhaps you can join in? I have heard you say a few words like how she just spoke," Théodred smiled at her daughter, and Rhaenys eagerly began to babble in the Common Tongue as well. Aegon had stuck his thumb in his mouth as a reason to be silent for now.

For her part, Elia continued to feel embarrassed, in a manner she never truly had been before. In her younger years, long before the betrothal and marriage to Rhaegar, she had flirted with a couple of unmarried men at the court of Sunspear and trained on her skills in how to retain a man's interest without resorting to sexual hints. Yet somehow, this felt very different.

"I am...not so watchful around him, as I once was...could it be, because he have never tried anything against me?"

Elia had no clear answer on this situation, but the simple truth was that she had started to lower her guard around Théodred as a result of feeling secure in his presence, and that they had started on the path leading towards friendship.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

After first greeting his cousins and promising to tell them about the journey at dinner before entered into Meduseld, Théodred saw someone he had not seen for a good couple of years.

"Gandalf! What brings you here? I thought you was busy up in the North with the Elves."

Since he was being addressed by the royal heir, the Wizard removed his smoking pipe so he could respond in a nice manner.

"Someone have to see how things are down here in the south as well. I can not be in two places at once, you know, my Prince."

However, when Elia entered the hall with her children, Gandalf got a honest look of surprise on his face.

"An old friend of the family, Théodred?" Elia asked, given the familiar manner in which he had addressed the old man there in the corner.

"Yes, a traveler who comes and goes as he wants. He is very long-lived, as my feder and fathu have said that he looked the same when they were children."

Oh, that must make him really old, then, Elia agreed.

"White! White!" Aegon continued to insist for a reason none of the adults understood, even pointing on Gandalf. Thankfully a maid took him and Rhaenys away for a light meal to eat after the journey.

"I think he tries to say that I might look like my clothes need a good wash, but I finds grey less likely to get dirty as quickly as white does when you rides for days in rainy weather on muddy paths," Gandalf smiled, and Elia relaxed at seeing that her son had not caused any trouble with his words.

Later that night, as she had put Rhaenys and Aegon to bed, Elia was surprised to find Gandalf waiting on her.

"Finding yourself in _an completely different world _must be demanding in a way that you cannot show to the outside world, my Lady. You are not a woman of Arda, that I could sense the moment I saw you."

He confirmed what she had suspected more and more during the past six months, that something overnatural had happened that day which could have been her last day of life, her children facing death for the actions of their father and because Tywin Lannister wanted his own daughter as a new Queen of Westeros, not matter who her husband would be. Yet despite her shock, Elia reminded herself of her manners and still made a light curtsy as a sign of respect for his ancient age.

"The Prince saved me and my children from death, an deed for which I can not express enough gratitude for. But I know that, for all the homesickness that I feel, my children will be in danger if I returns to my world. My foolish husband did something that will taint his name in history, and I have no desire to be remembered as a frail woman, a wife who proved herself useless in the duty of giving birth to more children than the two I gave him in the first three years of our marriage."

Gandalf held out his hand, and when Elia took it, something strange happened:

In her mind, Elia saw the whole history of Arda. The creation of the world, important events such as the Awakening of the Elves, the Darkening of Valinor, what had happened in Beleriand during the First Age in the wars between the Elves and Morgoth, the rise of Númenor and its Downfall as well the latter events of the Second Age, how Gondor during the Third Age lost its Kings and the Stewards coming into their current power, and Eorl the Young founding Rohan as a Kingdom to be inherited by his descendants.

As for Gandalf, he saw Westeros and its history starting from Morgan Martell, the founder of House Martell. How Nymeria though her marriage to Mors Martell had brought House Martell into being the rulers of Dorne. The nearly 300 years long Targaryen era, the battles to ensure that Dorne remained independent. And he saw how Rhaegar ended up not being the loyal husband he had promised to be at the wedding.

"It is truly regrettable that sometimes, _**beauty is just a mask used for hiding rotten personalities. **_The last son of a nowadays extinct royal House sadly thought that a such person could become a such good friend as someone else special in his heart who had died earlier, and he paid with his life for it."

Gandalf was meaning how in the Second Age, the Elven smith Celebrimbor had been tricked by Sauron in his disguise as Annatar to create the Rings of Power, not that Elia could know that.

"Please do not tell Théodred about my origins yet, master Gandalf, for I do not want to risk my life or my children again. One supposed protector failed to do his duty, and I wish all three of us to live. Even if that means that we will have to hide ourselves for those out after my children for the rest of their lives, until that Rhaegar is only a person in history and enough many generations have passed from the Rebellion."

He nodded in understanding. For whatever reason the Valar had allowed Théodred to save Elia and her children, there had to be a answer to be found at some point in the future. His own mistress Nienna, the Vala of pity, would undoubtedly be saddened to find out what kind of fate that could have awaited the small family.

"I hope that Rohan will be able to offer you protection from the people who hunts you, and that you will find yourself at peace here until that you can return home."

That Elia could agree on, that while she wanted to return home to Dorne, Rohan was a sanctuary where she was protected from the Lannisters.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

At the same time in Lannisport:

Eleven-year-old Tyrion wished that Jamie could stop being sullen. Sure, he could understand that his seven years older brother was unhappy about basically being kicked out from the Kingsguard by Robert Baratheon on the basis of "not getting any ideas about a second kingslaying" and being viewed with suspicion over that he killed Aerys at being brought home to Casterly Rock in disgrace by their father after the Sack of King's Landing about half a year ago.

"Surely he can not be that angry over that Cersei is pregnant and doing her duty as a married wife? She will be the mother of a prince or princess in a few months."

Right now Tyrion had grown tired of his brother's sullenness together with muttered desires of gelding King Robert for making Cersei pregnant because their sister complained about this and that discomfort caused by the pregnancy in every single letter she had written to Jamie so far, and instead rode down to Lannisport to meet up on a previously determined location with some cousins, those from his mother's siblings, for better company. Given that the late Joanna Lannister had been one of seven true-born siblings, that meant several cousins on the maternal side for Tyrion.

"He is lucky to not have lost his head or been sent to the Wall for the rest of his life over killing Aerys. It can not be fun to be unable to leave Casterly Rock, since Father threatened him with house arrest in his own chambers otherwise if Jamie tried to sneak out."

At the same time, Tyrion could understand Jamie being unhappy to have missed what was Cersei's moment of glory, to be married to a King and becoming Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. As her twin, Jamie must have hoped to see his sister during the celebration, only to find himself forbidden to enter King's Landing until that she had her first baby, by orders from Robert as if Jamie's presence during the wedding would taint his golden bride.

At entering Lannisport though one of its gates, Tyrion passed by a small cart driven by a donkey. The driver must be a crofter, based on his simple clothing, likely in the city to sell something for money.

"Tysha, keep the hens quiet!"

The dark-haired girl at his back obeyed her father, tossing a blanket over the large wicker basket where some young chickens were chirping. Tyrion paid them no attention as the cart left the gate, instead he simply continued to ride his pony against the large square where his cousins would wait for him.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

Queens in the RL Middle Ages did not only have childbirth as part of their duties, many of them was among the most trusted allies and confidants to their husbands. This was because Queens were usually one of the only people, if not the sole person, that Kings spent time alone with. Queens in the Middle Ages were also in Kings' inner circles of trusted fellows and advisers that served as a part of their entourage and accompanied them most everywhere. Queens in the Middle Ages also lived as socialites and hostesses. Socialite queens were responsible for the comfort and happiness of the guests at their many celebrations. They were also in charge of planning these celebrations, which included many feasts, balls and seasonal parties. Queens also accompanied the King to social functions in other kingdoms.

Théodred and Boromir are born in the same year, TA 2978, but I imagine that Boromir are born in late autumn, near winter, as a indirect symbol of that he will never become Steward of Gondor after his father and also that the age of the Ruling Stewards of Gondor are coming to its end with Aragorn becoming King of the Reunited Kingdom after the War of the Ring

Gandalf saw the history of Westeros from Dorne's perspective because it is Elia's homeland, and l seriously doubts that the very handsome Rhaegar would be that gorgeous-looking among normal people in a world with Elves

Yes, Jamie is not the cause behind Cersei's first pregnancy here as he was kicked out from the Kingsguard and sent back home in disgrace for killing Aerys. Since he also was not present at the wedding, she does not have him around for any secret love meetings behind Robert's back. In this AU, Jamie did actually have some sort of trial over his actions with Aerys, and while he avoided being sentenced to death because Tywin refused to lose his favorite son and Cersei pleading Robert to show mercy for her twin brother, he is seen as a disgrace to House Lannister and honorless man for the kingslaying


	22. Chapter 22

_**Hidden culture arts **_

Whatever Gandalf had done with her when he held her hand like that, Elia was not sure. But she found herself understanding Rohirric a lot better now and even that other language the King and his family spoke at times, Sindarin she believed it to be called, so maybe he had intended to help her come over the language barrier?

Yet the knowledge of being in a different world meant that Elia could stop fearing that she would be found by Tywin Lannister, at least for now. She still planned to get herself and her children back home to Dorne at some point, but until then, she could relax a little more.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

"You know, Elia, you uses very different patterns in your sewing than us," Éowyn commented one fine spring day in mid-March, only a few days before Aegon's second birthday which would be two days before the vernal equinox. Right now several women at the court had gathered together in a sewing circle, to keep their hands busy while also enjoying the fine weather outside.

"It is patterns I have inherited from my mother and other foremothers. It is embroidery, but some of them also are important symbols. For example, the flower I am making right now, is a a white water lily that is only found along the great river near our border."

It did hurt a little to recall how Ashara had loved to embroider those water lilies that had been found at Starfall, but Elia hoped that they would be able to meet again. Looking in the corner of her eye, the Dornish princess realized that Éowyn might need some form of inspiration since she had slowed down in her sewing. It seemed like Laywyn understood that as well, for she rose up from her place:

"Speaking about patterns, wait here for a few moments."

She soon arrived back with several embroideries in her arms.

"Those are all made by our mother Morwen and us four sisters when we was young. A few ones even by Elfhild."

Elia, who had been taught a few tricks by her female relatives, could spot hints of the creators' different personalities in the patterns and how they had made the various items.

"My mother Morwen was known for her grace, and she was fond of this diamond pattern in different colours because it can be shaped into a lot of symbols. Sunnwyn had a joyful personality, which is why she always aimed for bright colours to cheer people up."

Like her name, Mildwyn did not stand out that much in how she had sewn, but there was something peaceful about her works. And Théodwyn seemed to have the same skill as her now living daughter in the same age.

"I remember watching modur making those flowers on the arms of a new tunic for feder, for him to have at the feasts!" Éowyn said when she recognized a certain embroidery on a piece of linen. It seemed make her happy, to recall something nice.

"She found those smaller flowers easier to make into her signature in sewing than anything grand. Besides, we four sisters was told to make a unique design for each one, so our creations would not be mixed up by later generations."

There was a few items created by Elfhild as well. The late crown princess of Rohan had favored simple designs on what cloths she had embodied, because she sometimes did not have much energy and preferred quiet activities in addition to horseback riding, which had been spared all those years because there was very few other belongings of her that still remained after her death.

It was wonderful, Elia felt, to be part of a sewing circle again and simply focus on what you was intending to create on a piece of cloth. It was one of the things she missed under her time as Rhaegar's wife, since she had been struck on Dragonstone with a very small court for her position and no way of creating ground for the secret alliances women would do with each other if their husbands kept thinking that wars was the best way to deal with enemies.

No matter where you was, be it here in Arda or in Westeros, a lavishly embroidered cloth was far more prized than any currency. They showed the social strata and origins of the weaver, also telling of their character. Cloth with special meaning was prepared with great care, as well unique patterns passed down from one generation to another.

"Elia, will Rhaenys learn how to sew soon too?"

"Maybe to the summer, I want to ensure that she will not poke herself in the eye or somewhere else with the needle," she answered, and the other mothers agreed with her.

"You know...I have never understood the so called "logic" of girls who finds sewing boring or just plain refuses to learn this necessary skill," Elia spoke up later after finishing the last water lily, "I understand that it is not very fun, needle in and needle out, over and over, but I do not find that a legal excuse to not learn how to avoid a such bad sewing that the clothes does not keep together because the thread was either too loose or not sewn tightly enough to keep two pieces together, at least."

Several of the other women, who all had been familiar with at least one such girl either in their own youth or someone their daughters knew about, was quick to join in:

"Yeah! What do they think things will be for them if they do not learn? Their female relatives always being around to fix clothes for them, or the household maids if they are wealthy enough to have servants? That they will gain enough money to pay a tailor?"

"Or that we can actually sell a embroidered cloth to a tradesman and get money for it while being on a journey."

"As if running around with a sword and claiming that she will be a female warrior, is more important than sewing for a girl! Honestly, just look at what we all have done right now! Surely the cloth are made more beautiful with the designs, despite how long it might take to finish!"

"I always enjoy surprising my husband with something I have made with my own sewing, he loves to see how I can mend a tear in his clothes and make a nice design with the sewing thread to cover up where the tear originally happened. I even intend to give my children something special for their weddings, even if it is just something small."

Éowyn listened with great focus on what the adult women said. Sure, she did not always find sewing funny either, but she could understand why it was so important for a girl to know how to make clothes. Not to mention, the mental image of her relatives dressed in rags, with no way of mending the clothes, was not pleasant.

"I might have chosen to become a ranger, but I always kept a piece of cloth, some embroidery threads and a few needles in a pocket bag in my belt. It is my way of relaxing, and I could always sell finished pieces to a good tradesman on the markets of Minas Tirith if I needed to buy something to replace something of my weapons that had been ruined by long use. Even Éowyn is very skilled with the needle for her age," Laywyn added in when most of the ladies had gotten a chance to say what they thought of such tomboys. Her sister-daughter smiled in pride over the praise.

"Modur said that even if I might not enjoy sewing, I might want to make a personal gift for my future husband one day as a sign of that we will marry and why not something I have embroidered with my own hands?"

Everyone agreed that Théodwyn had been right about that. The exchange of personal gifts was often something that happened between a betrothed couple, as a sign of their feelings for each other.

"How are it with embroidery in your homeland, Elia? Are sewing also important in Dorne?"

Elia realized that this was a perfect chance for telling more of Dorne without revealing that she actually belonged to a different world.

"It is one of our basic goods in trade, as well fruits, spices and horses…"

That got their attention for sure. Since Rohan was famous for their horses, Elia understood that it was the best way of starting some form of talk.

"Is that why you are so good at riding?! Did you have your own horse when growing up?" Éowyn asked, forgetting all about the sewing in her lap now when there was something new to talk about.

"What kind of horses? Those tall, slender breeds found further south, right? I saw a few on a far-away market once when my Brothor was still Prince of Rohan and we had been visiting our maternal cousins for a few months. They had to almost force us away from that side of the market," Laywyn smirked at the memory, recalling how her youngest sister had tried over and over again to get herself free from the unlucky nursemaid who was assigned to make sure she didn't get lost, showing a lot of strength and determination for a five-year-old.

"Um...yes, they are of a different breed than the horses here in Rohan…"

And with that, their conversation went in a very different direction.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

In another part of Edoras, Éomer and Théodred kept themselves busy with something else. The Prince of Rohan checked over his saddle to see if the leather had becoming worn out somewhere, while his younger cousin was braiding together something from several long yarn threads whose starting points he had tied to a stirrup, which he held out from his body with one foot.

"What are you doing?" Rhaenys asked as she showed up behind a corner of the stable building where they was. Aegon was still taking a nap, and Balerion also in the same bed inside their room in Meduseld.

"Training on doing what to become a betrothal gift for my eventual wife. This is only the start of it, I am thinking of several braids like this one, sewn together in order to make a nice belt for her where she can have her embroidery needles and other things that can be put in a small purse."

Éomer knew that even if his design for a betrothal gift might change as he got older, it was always good to test out a idea already now so he could have several choices for the gift, as well seeing his own development in creating that gift.

"Betot?"

Théodred chuckled at how it sounded when Rhaenys tried to pronounce the word correctly. She was very good at speaking Rohirric despite having only been here for little over nine months, even if she did slip into her mother's native language at times too.

"You are a little too young for that kind of talk, Rhaenys, but yes, Éomer is making a gift that will take a long time to do."

As he saw a chance to let the girl help out, Rhaenys got the task of pulling as hard as she could on the stirrup leather so Théodred could get a better view and also listen to any strange sound.

"Yeah, I think the leather is a little worn on the left stirrup leather, I thought it was a odd sound yesterday when I moved around in the saddle while riding. Best to let the saddler have a look as well, it would not do if it breaks in the middle of making Silvermoon galop in high speed and I could fall off if I loses my balance because of it."

Even the most experienced riders could get in trouble sometimes, everyone knew that.

"Rhaenys, can you hold out the stirrup for me in the same way as you did from the saddle? I need this to be a little longer before it is done."

She was happy to be helpful, and Théodred knew that his cousin would know how to deal with the situation if Rhaenys got unset for some reason. Promising to be back soon, he went with his riding saddle in his arms to where the saddler would have his workshop.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

By now, Aegon had woken up from his nap and currently was staring at one of the huge tapestries hanging from the walls of Meduseld. It happened to be a tapestry of Eorl the Young as he rode on his famed horse Felaróf, and for the toddler, he could almost imagine horse and rider as if they was actually moving for real.

"Ah, you found something to look at, I see."

King Théoden had spotted the boy, silently staring at the tapestry without making any sounds, after talking with Gandalf about what happened in the north of Middle-Earth.

"King?" Aegon asked, pointing at Eorl since it was the central image of the tapestry, with a few other symbols of his reign in the four corners.

"Aye. My ancestor, the first King of Rohan. To think that there is fifteen generations between him and myself...a long time indeed. Théodred is going to be the eighteenth King when it is time for him to take over the crown."

Of course Aegon was too little to understand that about history, but he liked to hear Théoden talk about how Eorl had founded Rohan almost five hundred years ago.

"More stowes?"

That was a request Théoden smiled at, and he picked up Aegon in his arms to carry the boy around to see other trapesties of the other Kings of Rohan.

Back outside, Laywyn happened to meet Théodred on his way back from the saddler.

"Fathu! Good that you came, I was about to tell feder something important, and you might like it as well: _**I will try harder to at last find myself with a betrothed to hopefully be my wife in time for the five hundred anniversary of Rohan being founded by Eorl the Young.**_ Surely that would be a good time,

four more years, and a deadline of it? I know that a wedding would have been preferable, but a betrothal would be good too, right?"

Having worried about her nephew and his previous lack of success on the marriage market, Laywyn could see a good idea about it. If the current Prince of Rohan could show up a future wife at a such important celebration, it would be a good sign for the House of Eorl.

"Yes! Go and tell him, right away! And use this coming Midsummer celebration here in Edoras to actually socialize with the unmarried ladies of suitable age, you can not choose one random and then finding out that your choice of wife is going to be a huge mistake!"

She pushed her nephew towards the stone stairs leading up to Meduseld. Théoden needed to know what his son had decided, and the royal court would need to make plans for the midsummer celebration soon anyway.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

That same evening as she had some moments for herself after putting her children to bed, Elia found herself looking at the tapestries of the former Kings of Rohan as well. A part of her wished to show them for her father, knowing how he loved research about older history. Oberyn had often joked about their father, as a third son that was unlikely to inherit anything big with a lot of siblings and their children ahead of him in the succession to House Jordayne, would have chosen to be a historian and travelling across all the Seven Kingdoms except the Iron Islands, to search for old legends and stories to write down in a big book, if he had not been married to the ruling Princess of Dorne.

"Father would love those, with how he so often was seen sitting down at a window and writing down oral legends so they would be known for later generations as well…"

Rohan would have been seen as a treasure chest by Ihsan, with their oral traditions of songs and stories passed down from one generation to next, and Elia could really imagine him and King Théoden getting along very well as they compared their cultures and home countries.

Culture was a word with many meanings. Two countries could have similar language, cultures and customs, yet at some point there would be some form of difference as well. Rohan was nothing like Westeros, but Elia refused to deny that in some odd way, it felt like a safe place starting to feel a little bit like home.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

I imagine that the sand steeds in Dorne are likely similar in built to Arabian horses, since logically there would be some differences between them and the horses of Rohan

According to George R. R. Martin, Dorne is partially inspired by Wales, Spain, and Palestine. So I plans to make the Common Tongue of Westeros sound like Spanish in Dorne in contrast to Rohirric which Tolkien based on Old English from the Anglo-Saxon period in England.

Rohan as a Kingdom was founded in Third Age year 2510 by Eorl the Young, so with the current year in-story being Third Age 3006, it is nearly 500 years since the founding of Rohan


	23. Chapter 23

**Memories that is long lost **

author note: My deepest apologies for that this chapter is basically nothing else than a filler "episode", but that plot bunny might cause a side-story for this series

Also, faint warnings of a certain teenager being selfish, naive about consequences of her actions and narrow-minded with a major dose of Northern prejudice. (And a few pieces of "take that!" against some racist views on Dorne, its culture and Elia in the ASOIAF and GOT fandoms)

~X~X~X~X~X~X

The so called Tower of Joy, Dorne:

As much as her body was burning from the fever and pain of childbirth, Lyanna could not believe what just had happened. Why had _no one_ back home in Winterfell told her that childbirth would hurt this much and take such long time to deal with, proving another reason to why she did not want to become yet another woman married with children? And why did that other Dornish woman rush out with her baby, the self-claimed midwife holding her down on the bed? How dared they take _her child_ away from her before she even saw it!? Were they sent by Rhaegar's Dornish wife, who he said to not be able to bear more children and wanted her brats to remain the only royal children?

"Give me...my baby!"

Among all the pain, Lyanna ignored that it was partly her own fault for the situation she currently was in. She had never listened to Old Nan or any of the other female staff members at Winterfell in their attempts to explain what pregnancy and childbirth really meant for a woman who was married, finding it gross in details and tedious inspiration that she would never have any use for in a life as a female warrior.

"Lyanna!"

The voice of Eddard, him running over to where she was on the bed. Against her will to hear him, his voice sounded more and more distant, his face becoming blurry for her sight due to her tears in relief over _finally _having a family member by his side again. All she wanted right now, was to leave this tower that had been her prison for the past year and return home to Winterfell. Away from this horrible tower, away from Dorne where the Martells ruled, away from the South all together.

"...promise….bring you….home…"

And she neither saw or heard anything else as she tried to smile at her brother in gratitude. Ned would take her home, away from this living hell that was the most southern part of Westeros she and her baby would never have to leave the North again...

~X~X~X~X~X~X

"_You really have not changed at all, from the last time I saw you here in my realm._"

Lyanna opened her eyes in shock over the unfamiliar voice. Where was she? An impossible tall hallway of some kind, so tall that she could not see the roof, and there was no sight of Eddard either. In cold fear, the sixteen-year-old rose to her feet, for a moment surprised over that there was no pain anymore, but then her focus returned on that her middle brother were nowhere in sight.

"Ned? Ned, where did you go?!"

Was this the afterlife? If so, where was Brandon and Father? Surely they should be greeting her together with her late mother Lyarra and other Stark ancestors, as she had not converted to the Faith of the Seven! She had married Rhaegar in a secret wedding ceremony in front of a septon on the journey towards a hiding place in Dorne where no one would think of looking for them, yes, but that was to make him keep his side of the deal they had agreed on, that she would be allowed to be free from having to marry Robert and become a female warrior in exchange for giving him a third child which his wife was unable to do. It had sounded so easy, a single child for her personal freedom…

It was not even like Lyanna desired to be a mother in the first place. All she had to do was remaining healthy during the pregnancy and survive in childbirth, and then Rhaegar would ensure that Robert found another girl to marry instead of her.

"Eddard, this is not funny! I am too old to play hide and search, you promised to bring me back home to Winterfell!"

"_Hush, foolish wolf-girl! You disturb the other souls in my care and there is others awaiting their turn to meet me here in my Halls,_" the unknown voice from before commanded with a hint of annoyance, and she turned around at where the man was heard from.

A massive throne, where a hooded figure was seated. In one hand, a small shape akin to that of a infant, was peacefully sleeping for now.

"Who...are you?"

Námo honestly was not surprised by that Lyanna had no idea who he was. After all, her soul had crossed between the worlds of Westeros and Arda the moment she drew her final breath of life, undoubtedly expecting to land in the afterlife of those who worshipped the Old Gods. Yet at the same time, there was a reason to why her soul had came here to the Halls of Mandos.

"_Reborn so many times in Westeros across the centuries that you have no memory of our last meeting? I should have guessed as much, you did not exactly prove yourself well educated in politics or whatever your selfish actions have consequences for innocent people, back then either._"

Lyanna was speechless in shock, briefly gaping wide before quickly closing her mouth shut again to not look like she was one of those feeble-witted women people loved to make fun of. How dared he insult her like that?! Her, a daughter of House Stark of Winterfell?

"You dare to…!?"

But she found herself interrupted, caged inside what seemed to shaped like a bird cage but instead made of glass all around. When she tried to break the glass by slamming her fists on it, no sound was heard from the outside.

"_I do not have time to listen on a foolish girl bragging about her name and social status. That does not matter here in this realm. Instead, I want you to take a close look on what I am going to show you now._"

By moving one hand, Námo created a illustration of a adult man with light grey eyes and dark brown hair down his back in a manner that did not make him seem feminine at all, for all of that Lyanna had never seen a man with such long hair before. Instead she found him so bewitching, stunning beautiful that she was literally speechless again, this time by awe.

"Cregan?" she whispered. Surely this had to be her son, the one she had given Rhaegar despite his insistence that her baby had to be a daughter, her own instincts saying her that she was carrying a son. There was no way she would end up with a daughter, not with her own father Rickard siring three sons among four children. And surely Rhaegar would not mind that her son was given a Stark name instead of a Targaryen name, after the Stark Lord who had ruled the North for so long that he came known as the Old Man of the North?

Then a second illustration showed up. A tall and fair man as well, with what had to be pure silver for his hair colour since she had never seen a shade of silver-blonde hair like that, but muscular in manner that spoke of a life outdoors and skills in battle. What alarmed Lyanna, however, was how her son and the silver-haired man both drew sword and started a duel, no doubt intent on killing each other.

"Cregan!? Cregan, what are you doing?! That is that Dornish woman's brat, right? Why are they fighting!? Rhaegar said that my child would be adopted by her as a legitimate son, because she can not give him any more children herself!"

He _had _promised that Elia Martell would not make a fuss about them! That she was used to people having a paramour in Dorne, and would understand the need of another woman giving birth to more children when she could not!

"_Is that what he told you? Young lady, that promise is_ _**pure nonsense.**_ _How can a husband claim to know more about the culture than his own wife, who was born and raised in that culture? If you have bothered to read about the Targaryen family, you would know that younger half-siblings born from a different mother have a habit of causing trouble for the children born to the legal wife._"

"My son will not do that! He will be second-in-line…._**CREGAN!**_"

In horror, Lyanna saw how the two men killed each other, laying dead on the floor before the illustration ended.

"No….no, no...no...this can not be what awaits him! My son killed by his own brother!? It has to be that Dornish woman telling him to do that…"

"_**It is not your child in this life.**_ _You gave birth to a stillborn daughter, Visenya Waters, who tore you open and made you die from internal bleeding because you had her inside your womb for too long, so she grew too big for you to push out without problems. That dark-haired man is your son, __**Dior Eluchil,**_ _and a rejected suitor, __**Celegorm Fëanorian,**_ _from your very first life as a princess in a realm that is deep below the sea now. Your son was killed by him for being the son of a mortal you chose over him._"

What was he talking about? It was not Cregan and Aegon she saw? Her son from a previous life? No, this had to be a dream, a dream which made no sense at all. She had to wake up any moment now, to find herself escorted by Ned back to the North in some form of carriage, surely she must have fallen asleep from pure exhaustion after the birth…

A cry from a newborn caught her attention, it was the small shape in Námo's hand which moved around on his palm.

"_My apologies, little Visenya, but I am trying to tell you mother what a irresponsible fool she happens to be, because of her selfishness in both this life and a previous one._"

And then it dawned on Lyanna, the truth of what was going on. She was _**dead,**_ because of that little brat she had struggled so hard to get out of her body. The child she had prayed to be a son so Rhaegar could have a spare to his heir, because she knew that a daughter would only end up trapped in a unwanted marriage like what she would find with Robert.

"_**NO! This can not be true! I can not be dead! Not because of a child I did not even want in the first place!**_"

She could not believe it. Lyanna collapsed to her knees as it all came crashing down in her head. All her dreams and hope for her life as a adult, ruined by that little girl who looked so alike Rhaegar already now, with her Targaryen colours, that no one would doubt who the sire was.

"_Be silent!_" Námo ordered, now towering above Lyanna who started to feel terrified, "_In your first life, as you just saw in that illustration, it was your son who paid for what you and your mortal lover did in order to stay together. Does you even realize what princess Elia Martell had to give up at her marriage to the prophecy-obsessed Silver prince, who broke his marriage vows with you? She had to leave her homeland for a different royal court who distrusted her because of her ethnic minority, had to suffer two pregnancies in less than three years after the wedding because her first child was a girl and she needed to give birth to a son, deal with a goodfather who used her as a hostage in order to make her homeland fight against your betrothed in the Rebellion and watch her fellow Dornishmen die because of your_ _**foolish idea **__of escaping marriage with Robert Baratheon: vanishing with Rhaegar Targaryen, the Crown prince who happens to be a married father of two, Lyanna Stark._"

Lyanna was now trembling in fear at feeling this powerful glare at herself, unable to move or say anything in protest, despite that a small part of her was seething in anger and humiliation over that he chose Elia's side in the course of events.

"Robert...would have cheated on me! He fathered a bastard in the Vale…"

"_**Before you two even was betrothed, **__little moron. Was all this really worth it? Refusing to marry Robert based on that he had a natural daughter? Then tell me, Lyanna Stark, what does that make your daughter? A royal bastard with the surname of Waters, because that is where she was conceived, on the last day you were in the Crownlands, before you left for Dorne. Rhaegar can not acknowledge her as his natural daughter in death, and people are not going to find it funny that you make a such fuss about little Mya Stone, only to become a mistress to the married Crown prince and bear him a bastard daughter instead of being the most powerful woman by marriage in the Stormlands. Tell me, Lyanna Stark, do you know of any other Targaryen King to have more than one wife, outside Aegon the Conqueror and his second son Maegor?_"

Her failure of mentioning any names told enough. And according to the Faith of the Seven, Rhaegar would not be able marry a second wife either, for he had consummated his marriage to Elia on the wedding night and she had not given herself infertile by giving him two healthy children despite her own struggles with her health.

"_See what I mean? You are not a legal wife or even the mother of a princess, just a foolish girl who have died during the birth of a royal bastard._"

Anyway, Námo did not want to waste more time on Lyanna. Not only had she not learned a lesson from her first life before she was reborn in a circle of death and rebirth in Westeros, it was a such long time since her first life that she did not even recognize the two people who have been affected so much by her actions in the First Age of the Sun. It was high time that she learned real consequences of her poorly-thought actions, the loss of her father Rickard and oldest brother Brandon was only the beginning of it all. By running away with Rhaegar, she had not only refused her duty as a daughter of House Stark to marry the man chosen for her, she had humiliated the whole North in the same choice.

"_Since you insists on that you are in the right and others being wrong, as well that you look down on a older woman who you view as inferior to yourself in so many ways, I think that I have a perfect punishment for you, young lady…_"

Lyanna screamed as a blinding light surrounded her.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Her first feeling, was how she landed face down, hard on what had to be soft sand. And the horrible heat from Dorne, which she had grown to hate during her stay in the Tower of Joy. Looking around, Lyanna had no idea where she was. The tower was nowhere to be seen, and she was laying in the shadow of a different building, a house, built in a manner she had never seen before with dried mud. A alleyway?

"Where…?"

A cry at her left, and Visenya Waters was there at the ground as well, laying on a simple blanket without anything else on her tiny body, wailing loudly as proof of that she was alive, with none of the dragon-like birth defects that she had been born with in Dorne. Then Lyanna felt like her lower body was burning in pain. Worse, it felt like she was bleeding still, her thighs having that nasty feeling of when she got her moon blood during the night and found her bed sheets stained with blood in the morning.

"No, I will not undergo childbirth again!"

She saw Námo there in the deepest shadow, but he was slowly vanishing in front of her eyes.

"_It is not childbirth or the belonging after pains you feel. It is your body reacting on that it have given birth and is trying to heal itself. I recreated your body alongside a healthy one for Visenya and brought you both there, to the Eastern parts of the world you once lived your first life in. However, your punishment for the mess to be known as Robert's Rebellion, is to no longer have __**any **__of the privileges or comforts you are used to. Neither shall your two remaining brothers, Eddard and Benjen, know that you are alive again in a different world. __**You will live your life among the lowest of the low here in this city, as a foreign beggar woman with a child who have no father around, needing to hide away your daughter because her Targaryen traits are going to make her a target for slave traders and others who want to exploit her beauty.**_ _You shall also be finding out the hard way why traditional feminine skills are so valued in cultures around the world, those skills you so dismissed as below yourself to know despite your social standing as a daughter to the Warden of the North. Perhaps this is the lesson in humility you so desperately needs._"

Lyanna felt herself going cold in horror at those words. A different world, in a land that reminded awfully about Dorne? With no way of ever returning home to Winterfell?

"No! Take me back home! Take me home to Winterfell! Please, do not leave here alone with Rhaegar's brat! I do not want to be a mother!"

But Námo ignored her desperate pleading, vanishing like he was a mere mist giving in for the morning sun. Lyanna sunk back on her knees in despair, fully realizing what had happened right now.

"_**I ONLY WANTED TO MAKE EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THAT I WANTED TO LIVE MY LIFE ON MY OWN TERMS! I NEVER WANTED TO MARRY AND BE A MOTHER LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!**_"

But if anyone heard her screaming and crying, where she knelt beside her newborn daughter there in the alleyway, they would only have heard a young female voice speaking a foreign language not spoken in the region of Rhûn.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

author note:

Due to being the only daughter of a paramount lord, Lyanna is among the most privileged of the privileged in Westeros and does not realize how her life is a thousand better than the smallfolk due to all the things she takes for granted. She has never gone hungry due to a lack of food, never felt cold because of clothes being little more than rags and living in in a tiny shack with the whole family in one single room, never been beaten because of a poorly executed work and never suffered illness without a maester at her side

Cregan Stark was the Lord of Winterfell and head of House Stark during the reigns of kings Viserys I, Aegon II, Aegon III and Daeron I Targaryen. It is not known exactly when he died, somewhere between 157-209 AC, but he came Lord of Winterfell at age 13 in 121 AC and since he came known as the Old Man in the North, his rule as Lord Stark was a very long one.

I made Lyanna die from a difficult childbirth that had its origins in a postterm pregnancy, which is when a woman has not yet delivered her baby after 42 weeks of gestation, two weeks beyond the typical 40 week duration of pregnancy. One of the risks of a such postmature birth is stillbirth and with the stillborn Visenya also having dragon-like birth defects from her Targaryen blood, there was no way Lyanna would survive the childbirth

Lyanna mistaking Dior Eluchil and Celegorm for her imagined son Cregan and Elia's son Aegon as adults, is meant as a "take that!" towards fancasts in which Aegon is white-washed. House Martell is mentioned to have olive skin colour, so even if Aegon inherited the fair hair colour of House Targaryen, he would still look similar to Elia and Rhaenys, who is mentioned to look like her maternal family. There is no mention of Elia bringing baby Rhaenys along to Harrendal, so Lyanna is unlikely to know how Elia's children even looks like

Dior Eluchil is the only child of the Elven princess Luthien and her mortal husband Beren, one of the most famous couples from Tolkien book Silmarillion, which is set long before LOTR. Celegorm is a Elven prince from the same era of history in-story of Arda


	24. Chapter 24

**The joys of spring **

As a mother, Elia felt pride over that Aegon has survived to his second year of life. Infants, toddlers and small children were so vulnerable to diseases that it was impossible to know if they could survive to adulthood. For her, as the mother to a future King of the Targaryen dynasty, everything would be lost if Aegon died in the cradle, for Rhaenys would not be accepted as a reigning Queen in her own right and most likely facing marriage to her uncle Viserys instead. A wife like Elia herself, unable to bear more sons in the future…

She could really imagine that Rhaegar would not hesitate to set her aside, based on that she was unable to have more children than Rhaenys and Aegon, and instead marry another woman as a new queen. He would try that without thinking of what kind of political disaster it would be, how Dorne would take a deep offense of that she was replaced, and without recalling the history lessons telling that in house Targaryen, younger half-siblings tended to cause trouble for the legal heirs down the line…

"Elia? It is your turn," Théodred said, making her return focus to the board game currently played between them. It was called a tafl game here in Rohan and their neighbour kingdom Gondor, a strategy board game played on a checkered or latticed gameboard with two armies of uneven numbers.

"I am sorry, lost my thoughts into something else for a moment."

Elia was skilled in playing cyvasse from her upbringing in Sunspear, and board games had also been used in her education to teach her how to use strategy in different situations and to show why it was dangerous to play politics like a game; real people of flesh and blood had their own will, and could easy break away from plans others might had made for them.

Somehow, with no big surprise, the game was won by Elia when she spotted a unexpected chance to do a different move in her turn. But thankfully Théodred was not someone to sulk about losing in a game, it was not like it was a real battle in which he could be killed if he lost against a skilled opponent.

"Say, Elia...Are you familiar with politics? From time to time, I have seen you listen on what my feder and his advisors talk about when it is not something they fear to be overheard."

So he had noticed it, huh? Well, she would likely be caught sooner or later anyway.

"I may not be the heir of my family, with one older and one younger brother, but until that my oldest brother wed his wife and had his daughter, I was the spare. Even with this health of mine, my parents wanted me to learn as much as possible, so I could be useful for both my family and my future husband."

She tried her best to explain the differences between Dorne and Rohan, without revealing that it actually was two different worlds. Personally Elia liked how the Rohirrim were favoring honesty over lies, but she feared that it could become a weakness if there ever was a situation where it was easy to offend someone powerful from a different culture.

"I knew it," Théodred spoke once she had finished, "I have actually feared for a such situation. Both Éomer and Éowyn are smart, but they would be lost in court intrigue and I would rather have them learn from a early age…"

"It would be _a pleasure _to be their tutor in how to survive court intrigue, if your lord father allows it. Being naive can be both a blessing and a curse, especially if it is encouraged in some form, or the person is not realizing that not all people works in the same set of morals. Life is not like in songs or in tales, for those are often simplified and does not tell the whole truth about the events they are meant to present."

Elia wanted to be useful in some way, if it could repay the life debt she owned to the Prince of Rohan for saving her and her children. Besides, the royal cousins would have some great use for her lessons at some point, she knew it somehow. Of course, she would have to adjust what she had learned during her lessons to how the royal court of Rohan was ruled, and while she also had no way of knowing how the Steward of Gondor and the Prince of Dol Amroth ruled their realms, Elia still hoped to at least help Éomer and Éowyn grow into a role of being advisers to their cousin as he took over the throne after his father. Maybe it even would prove useful in future personal relationships, if they ended up marrying spouses that did not hail from Rohan.

As it turned out, Théoden was very pleased over the idea, since it would profit his three heirs. He admitted that times were changing, in the past Rohan mostly kept contract with Gondor but over the past three generations, they had started trade with countries in the further south.

"If you starts the lessons after vernal equinox in three days, they will manage to get a starting point before we travels to Aldburg, where we will stay for a couple of weeks before traveling around Rohan across late spring and early summer. The people needs to see their royal family and know that none of us have fallen ill to the point of death."

Elia could see why. Vernal equinox was a big celebration that lasted for the full day, and with Aegon having his second birthday tomorrow, she would be busy focusing on her children in the hope of having a pleasant day together.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I glad to hear that I can be useful during my stay here," Elia said, making a curtsy in respect for the King and Prince before she left to find her children.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Just like his sister three months earlier, Aegon was treated to a honey cake and a new toy at waking up on the morning of his birthday. He was overjoyed over the knitted ball Elia had stuffed with old rags, since he could toss it and also hold it in his hands while walking around. Today was a lovely day and Elia hoped to spend the whole midday with her children outside.

"Balerion! Wait!"

Spotting a mouse somewhere in the shadows before his three humans could, the now grown cat dashed ahead of them like a black arrow between the wooden houses.

"Wait!"

Naturally, Rhaenys ran off after Balerion, Elia sighing and following after her daughter, Aegon pulling on her skirt to not be left behind despite that his mother was simply taking longer steps instead of chasing after Rhaenys.

Rhaenys followed after Balerion towards a smithy near a stable for the common people's horses.

"Shoo, you little black pest! This is not your home and I do not want to drop this piece of white-hot iron because of you," a older woman commanded, Rhaenys peeking in through the open door. A woman dressed in the leather apron and thick leather gloves to protect herself far up on the arms, was holding a white-hot piece of iron with a set of tongs, but Balerion happened to be blocking to where she had intended to go, since he chased the mouse around in circles.

"Madam Brynhild! I am sorry for Balerion!"

The female blacksmith recognized the child's voice, and turned around after quickly placing the iron in a small barrel of cold water.

"Little sun, it is dangerous to have your cat run around here when you are visiting, a forge is not a safe place for playing."

Rhaenys and her family had met the woman, in her early 40s or so, a few times before from time to time. Brynhild was a female blacksmith, a profession where both men and women could work in, and she was a well-known face in this area of Edoras as it was where she had her forge.

"Oh, we have that little furball and his mistress again on visit?" another voice laughed, and another woman around the same age as Brynhild arrived out from her part of the shop. Her wife in all but name, Kreimhild, a leather carver famed for beautiful designs in the leather she worked with.

"Mistress Brynhild, mistress Kreimhild! I hope that Rhaenys and Balerion have not been bothering any of you during work?" Elia asked as she arrived with Aegon still holding her skirt, and Kreimhild smiled as a greeting.

"No, they have not, unless you count in that black furball chasing a mouse into the forge."

For Elia, who had seen how same-sex relationships was not accepted in the same manner in the rest of Westeros as in her naive Dorne, it had been a secret joy to find out that Rohan did accept relationships between people of the same gender, especially as there had been many shieldmaidens in the past who had been open about preferring their own gender, though it generally was a norm of a traditional marriage between a man and woman that resulted in children. But that was understandable, the population needed to be kept stable and many children was often needed because there was so much that could cause a child's death before adulthood.

"I am looking forwards vernal equinox, it is always a joy to see young and older couples having a good time together."

Elia admitted that it would most likely be a vastly different celebration than she was used to from her home country, since Rohan did not have the same traditions as Dorne, but she still thought her daughter and son would have fun with their friends. As for herself, she hoped to enjoy a chance to explore their culture again.

"Right. This might be nice for you to have, then. A nice little amulet for luck and protection against things that we may not be aware of."

Brynhild walked back into her shop, and came out with some bronze amulets that was shaped differently.

"A joyful little sun, like you," she said while hanging one like a necklace around Rhaenys' neck, "and a sun in the hope of that you will be able to return to your southern homeland eventually without dangers, lady Elia."

"Thank you, they are beautiful crafted."

Even Aegon got something, though in his case it was a brooch which he would not wear until that he was a little older and unlikely to keep pulling it off with his hands.

"Right, we have to finish our works for the forenoon, but it will be pleasant with a visit again, little sun, just keep your cat away from the forge while I works."

Rhaenys promised, holding the now protesting Balerion harder so he could not keep running into the forge since Brynhild did not want to trip over something on the floor as she worked.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

Viserys is born in 276 A.C, making him four years older than Rhaenys, and they would hardly be the first Targaryen uncle-niece marriage in the dynasty.

Divorce in Westeros is not common. Instead, man and wife might decide to live separately (like Doran Martell and his wife Mellario). However, marriages in the Seven Kingdoms can be ended in several ways. A king is able to put his queen aside – even if she has given birth to his children – and marry another. In the Faith of the Seven, a marriage that has not been consummated can be set aside by the High Septon or a Council of Faith. Even a marriage that has been consummated can be set aside, even a marriage of many years with children. Neither bride nor groom needs to be present for an annulment; however, it must be requested by at least one of the wedded pair. The role and procedure of a Council of Faith has not yet been stated in the books or by Martin himself.

Another way of ending a marriage is by having the bride join the silent sisters. Similarly, when a man takes the vows of the Night's Watch, his marriage is over.

Tafl games (also known as hnefatafl games) are a family of ancient Nordic and Celtic strategy board games played on a checkered or latticed gameboard with two armies of uneven numbers.

Cyvasse is a game played by two players and features ten types of pieces, each with different powers and attributes. Martin has likened it to chess

Brynhild and Kreimhild are naturally named after the two female characters in Der Ring des Nibelungen, since I think it would be a nice twist on two iconic women actually being in a relationship with each other

Leather Carver is a person who works with leather by cutting and carving designers into it


	25. Chapter 25

In the wee hours of dawn on the vernal equinox, Rhaenys was wandering around the hall of Meduseld in search of a nice bronze mirror or anything else she could watch herself in. The reason was simple, yesterday she had seen some of the adult women here at court wearing their hair in long plaits down on either side of the front of the body. And Rhaenys wanted to prove herself a big girl by trying to make her hair neat in that style.

"Mirror...mirror…"

There was some round wooden shields neatly resting towards the wall, but the boss in the center was of iron and not good for what Rhaenys was searching for.

"Rhaenys, it is a little too early for a young lady like you to be up yet," Théodred spoke as he spotted her there in the corner, her white nightgown of linen naturally standing out against her skin tone. He had needed to answer the call of nature, and the four-year-old had left the bed shared with her mother and brother while he was there.

"I want to make my hair pretty like on the ladies yesterday," she admitted at seeing who it was, even holding up the bone comb to show her plan.

"Ah, you mean those plaits with ribbons, right? I agree, you would be very pretty in them."

He sat down on a bench, Rhaenys in his lap as he started to comb out her hair as a preparation for the braids. As the Rohirrim favored long hair for both men and women, Théodred was no stranger to helping others in taming their hair in order to look nice for a important event. A well groomed appearance played a important role in a first impression, and helped to bring out not only natural beauty but also if someone was healthy. Besides, Rhaenys was in a age where she wanted to spend a lot of time with the other girls around her own age who she had befriended here in Edoras.

"There. Be careful when you dresses and it should be no worry."

Rhaenys was overjoyed when she got to see the final result in a bronze mirror Théodred brought from a shelf in a storeroom where he once had found the maids to hide extra stuff which they shared between themselves.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

As she dashed off to show Elia and Aegon, who happened to still be asleep, Théodred made a mental notification of how her behavior seemed to hint about this was the first time she got her hair fixed by a man instead of her mother. Had Elia's husband actually ignored his daughter to the point of neglecting her, despite Rhaenys being the oldest of the two siblings, for not being a son?

"I am seriously tempered to give that man a punch to the jaw about how his family was treated…!"

He could hear from the kitchen that the maids had started to make breakfast, and returned to his own room to dress for the day.

Since Arda had changing seasons instead of one season for several years, Elia knew that the customs of this world had to be vastly different from what she was used to. She had managed it so far, and looked forwards to the summer, if last year was any promise. Today was promising to be yet another lovely day with sunny weather, and she even found herself caught by the eagerness of her daughter as Rhaenys proudly showed off the plaits Théodred had helped to create.

"Mama. He..._father_ never did anything like this, right? I..do not remember anything about it…"

Elia drew a quick breath to steady herself. Rhaenys had never asked about Rhaegar before, not since the day they learned about his death and she had needed to explain that death meant that he would never come back.

"No, Rhaenys. He never spent time with you and Aegon as Théodred does. He loved his books of old lore and harp far more."

Her daughter was bright for her age, but Elia was not ready to explain about the whole drama with Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark yet. Rhaenys was still too young to properly understand how complex it was, and Aegon even more unlikely to do so.

"Lady Elia, come on! It is breakfast!"

Thankfully one of the maids gave them a reason to think of something else.

"I need to finish dressing first, then we will come."

Aegon only needed some help in getting his tunic and shoes on, then all three of them were ready.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

The sunny weather brought out a sense of celebration in the air, especially as it was warm for being in March. And no wonder, there was different kinds of entertainment for people of all ages, competitions both with riding on horses and other physical activities, and even a market with various stands. The food was seasonal, naturally, but Elia enjoyed the sight of more rare goods imported from Gondor. Like that bundle of beautiful silk fabric in a warm orange colour, making her hands itch to make a beautiful embroidery on it. Yet she kept herself under control for now, she needed to ensure that her children was enjoying the day while tiring them out enough much to be left in the care of a trusty maid and hope that the silk fabric had not been sold at her return.

"Lady Elia! Would you allow Rhaenys and Aegon to ride on the ponies?" one of the stable grooms asked, and both her children responded by running towards the group of rider-free ponies before she could say anything.

"They act as if they are truly Rohirrim…"

Well, that was not something Elia could change, being away from Dorne and her homeworld altogether. Rhaenys did not have much memories of their lives on Dragonstone, and their life here in Rohan was forming Aegon's first memories. If she could say it without being selfish, then Elia would prefer her children to basically forget who their sire was. Rhaegar's actions had nearly killed them for being his family, and she would find a way to poison any fool who dared to claim that he had been a loving father to his two children.

"Elia?" Théodred asked as he came up to her, Balerion purring against his leg for attention, "would you and the children like to share a early midday meal with me?"

Small children needed a snack between meals to not grow a bad mood, so Elia accepted his invitation with a smile.

They went outside Edoras, to a few food stands at the river banks of the river Snowbourn, since it would be less people there yet also peaceful in its own way.

"Here is one of my favorites."

Holding a large iron plate in one hand so he could show what food it was, the crown prince of Rohan revealed something that surprised Elia with pleasure, as it was a dish she had loved to eat in Dorne too: Roasted beets with goat cheese, honey and pine nuts.

"This used to be served at home at feasts! It is more common with goats in Dorne because they can survive the dry landscape better than cows."

Rhaenys and Aegon quickly joined their mother and protector in likening the dish, as the two adults had to avoid that the red beet juice strained their clothes. As for Elia, it was wonderful to eat this dish again because of the memories she associated it with, and for a moment she could almost feel the warm sun of Dorne on her skin. Elia herself was not aware of it, but as she enjoyed the mix of beets and goat cheese in her mouth, her black eyes turned dreamy in great pleasure to the point of licking her lips in an unplanned seductive movement with lips and tongue. Théodred, who had been caught all unaware of her enjoyment, stared at her without managing to say a word.

"More!"

Aegon broke the trance, demanding more food by both speaking loudly and holding up his little spoon in one fist.

"Yes, I will bring something more to eat since you requests it. Would you like lamb or chicken?"

Rhaenys and Aegon wanted a different kind of meat, which he was not surprised by. Having different opinions and personalities was good for their future sibling relationship as they got older, since that meant a natural training in being around people who could be vastly different from yourself.

"Elia, which one would you like?"

"Why not both? It can be fun to explore the different tastes with a nice sauce that matches both," she joked in a friendly manner, having finished to clean off some tiny beet juice stains on Aegon's cheek with a piece of cloth she had carried in her belt.

As they ate of the new food, Elia supported her upper body by her arms while leaning slightly back, and Théodred noticed something else:

"Elia...have you...added in weight? I mean, you do not seem to be as thin as when we first met…"

Realizing that he must have noticed her waistline, Elia responded:

"Actually, yes. I have always been on the thin size because my health have always been affected by being born one month too early. Both my pregnancies were not easy ones, and I had trouble finding food that I could keep down, especially as I also grew a craving for fresh fruit, the kinds that is found in Dorne, when I carried both Rhaenys and Aegon. It did not help that our place of residence was...horrible. It was out in the sea on a island, which made it feel horrible damp in contrast to the heat of Dorne, cold winds which lowered the temperature even more…"

Théodred recalled how he once had been at the Bay of Belfalas when visiting Gondor a few years ago. The island of Tolfalas had almost been destroyed during the Drowning of Númenor, and was left like a barren and lonely mountain in the waters of the bay. If Elia had lived on a such place after her wedding, unable to easy travel to visit her birth family, then it was no wonder that she had been miserable.

"But since I came here to Rohan, I have added in weight, yes. Everyone here is nice, trying to help me if there is any problems with the children or if my stomach protests against some food. I can rest if I want, do things that I enjoy like sewing...I feel a lot more happy, and that is the background to it."

If Elia had to contrast her life on Dragonstone and here in Rohan, she would prefer her current life, given that both her children were alive and healthy, there was no way Tywin Lannister would be able to find them here in a different world.

"That is good, that you can add in weight as a sign of not having to feel unhappy anymore. I have heard that sorrow and other such feelings can affect someone's general health, and outside times of a bad harvest or illness, it is often a alarming sign of someone being very thin and not eating well."

It was a friendly, honest smile he gave her, and Elia smiled in return.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

After the meal, Théodred showed them to an entertainment that could fit the whole family of three:

A storyteller, who was already telling a tale for a group of listeners as they arrived.

"What story is he telling?"

But when Théodred told her about the theme of the story, how a Princess and her lover had been out on a quest in order to be able to marry alongside other events such as a rejected suitor and some drama in a kingdom, Elia's smile changed into a displeased frown.

"You do not like romance tales of the style when the pair of lovers are the central characters, then, I guess?" Théodred wondered as Rhaenys got to ride on his shoulders.

"_With the turn of time, likely in a hundred years or a few generations, my idiotic husband and that foolish girl are likely going to become the stuff of romance songs and legends, while all they mentions of me is the role of a __**unworthy wife,**_ _for my poor health and where I am born._"

He made a face at realizing how it likely would turn out a few generations down the line when no one truly knew what had originally happened, no woman deserved a such legacy.

"Then...I think you might like this one better, despite it being from around the same time in history. I learned about it when I visited Gondor a few years ago and got the chance to hear about really old stories."

It was the tale of Aegnor, a Elven prince, and his mortal lover Andreth from many thousand years ago. How they had fallen in love as the first known romance between a Elf and a mortal, but been unable to marry because Elves did not marry in wartime, yet still remained loyal to each other by never marrying another, Andreth becoming a wisewoman famous even among the Elves for being very learned in the lore of men. And how, in a cruel twist of irony, the elderly Andreth had been the one to outlive her immortal prince, if not for long, when he fell in battle.

Elia felt her eyes becoming dangerously close to crying when Théodred finished the tale. Yes, this was more of a tale in her taste since it showed how powerful loyalty could be, despite the tragedy of that they did not even share a afterlife.

"Thank you for telling that story. It is such tales of loyalty that have caught my attention better than tales of the "love is the most important thing of all" kind that I have never liked anyway. After all, how can love be worth the lives of innocents if it leads to war?"

Besides, young people with very little experience of the real world outside the safe walls of home, those who were encouraged to be naive without understanding how disastrous it could be, how could they understand the difference between real love and plain lust?

"Did you see anything on the market that you liked? I can distract Rhaenys and Aegon for you if you want to go shopping by yourself for a little while."

"Oh, that would be joyful, because there was that lovely silk fabric…"

This was one of the best days in Rohan so far, Elia felt as they returned to the market after that she first had hurried back to Meduseld for a few of her own embroidery pieces that she could try to use as barter for the silk fabric. Now she only needed to return home to Dorne somehow with her children, and she would be content.

The day ended with Gandalf showing off some firework once the sun had set and the stars showing up on the night sky, which was a grand completion of a nice day for everyone in the royal family and their household.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

author note

A shield boss, or umbo, is a round, convex or conical piece of material at the centre of a shield. Shield bosses (or sometimes, just "bosses") are usually made of thick metal but could also be made of wood. The boss was originally designed to deflect blows from the centre of round shields, though they also provided a place to mount the shield's grip.

The Bay of Belfalas, also called the windy Bay of Bel, was a great gulf of the Great Sea lying to the south of Gondor, within whose waters stood the island of Tolfalas; the River Anduin flowed into the Bay. Directly north of the Bay was the Gondorian region of Belfalas.

Given that the whole story with Rhaegar and Lyanna is more or less the ground for possible songs that will simplify it into becoming a classical "forbidden love" theme with Elia as a villain in the form of the unwanted wife in a arranged marriage, I do not think Elia herself would like the famous story of Luthien and Beren because if you take away the romantic part, the Quest for the Silmaril is actually a political disaster that made the relationships between the Elven realms worse when they needed to stay together against Morgoth.


	26. Chapter 26

_**Secrets in different families **_

author note: A little warning about that something that might come off as human exploitation in the first third of this chapter because of how smallfolk are without rights in Westeros, but the reasons behind will be explained in-story

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Year 284, Clegane's Keep in the Westerlands:

The Clegane patriarch was dead, caused by having drunk too much in the morning to be steady in the saddle as he and Sandor was out hunting, falling off his horse when misjudging overgrown hedge to jump over as they chased their prey. At least his death had been almost instant as he broke his neck at the landing.

"Damn it, father, I did not want to inherit the lands and tower house yet!" Sandor muttered as the coffin was lowered into the newly excavated grave and the grave-digger began to shovel over earth to cover the coffin. No many from the household and the village was present, which had not surprised Sandor at all.

"And here father lamented how feared our House would have been in the service of Lord Lannister, with Gregor still alive…"

The late Ser Clegane's oldest son had not exactly been mourned by the household when the news of his death had arrived a few months earlier, but the fact that no one could explain how Gregor had died, was a mystery. Anyway, while he was displeased over not being the one to kill his brother, that Gregor had died under massive suffering in some way that involved fire was pleasant enough for Sandor.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

When Sandor arrived home, he went straight away to the great hall, where his sister likely was found if she had left her bed.

"No, no, Tysha. It is meant to sound like this…"

Two young maidens was seated at the table, a large book between them. They shared the same dark hair and similar slender body build from behind, but when they looked up at seeing Sandor, the differences became clear:

Tyshara Clegane, and the newest household maid in their service, a girl named Tysha, a crofter's daughter, orphaned a few weeks ago when her father died of an illness. With no other close relatives, she had been chased away by the landowner from the cabin where she had grown up since a 12-year-old girl would only be a unwanted extra mouth to feed for anyone who took her in.

"Tyshara, we need to talk."

As always, Sandor was blunt yet Tyshara showed no surprise over it. There might be only two years between them in age, but they had joined together as victims of their brother's cruelty.

"Help me turning this around, please, Tysha."

As Tysha did so, it became revealed that Tyshara was not sitting in a normal wicker chair. It was a wheelchair, because the sole Clegane daughter had been paralyzed from the waist down since she had been only a few months old. It had been winter at the time, and Gregor kicking over her cradle in annoyance over her crying, nearly killing the female infant as she fell down on the stone floor. Tyshara had only survived from a deadly blow to her delicate head and neck thanks to her nurse wrapping her upper body tightly with some of Sandor's outgrown clothes from his own infanthood to keep Tyshara warm from the cold. But her lower body had not been wrapped up in the same manner, for the plain reason of the nurse needing to be able to change her nappies, and that made it possible for Gregor to cripple his sister without even touching her.

Once Tysha had given Sandor a cup of wine in a wooden cup, and then been sent back to the kitchen to help the cook with preparing the midday meal, did Sandor speak:

"Last time I checked, a common household maid normally is not able of reading because they often have their origins among the smallfolk."

"_And we __**sure**_ _are going to find a husband in a few years when I am old enough to marry, who is willing to look past my disability that is unlikely to make me able of pregnancy and the reputation that our House have thanks to __**fucking Gregor,**_" Tyshara responded, showing no fear at all, as the two siblings looked each other in the eye. Ever since Gregor had died, she refused to be a scared little mouse anymore since in death, their hated brother could not harm or frighten her again. Sandor, at least, enjoyed that his sister had shown herself having a backbone when she no longer feared to be harmed. Yet she was right about something she just said; a crippled girl like Tyshara was unlikely to get married, and while Gregor was dead, their House's reputation was tainted by his deeds.

"Did you get the idea after watching our hounds?"

That would not surprise Sandor. Their grandfather had been a kennelmaster before becoming a landed knight, and his descendants kept breeding hunting dogs as a way to gain a extra income. That would also give Tyshara, who rarely left the keep because her wheelchair was prevented from moving around in rough terrain, some knowledge of how important it was to avoid inbreeding in bloodlines.

"Just look at the Targaryens, on what is known about its last king and queen. Eleven pregnancies, and only two surviving sons born seventeen years apart, with no way of telling whatever the newborn Targaryen princess is going to live to adulthood. Anyone who breeds animals knows they caused their numbers to sink by the inbreeding, and I seriously doubts that the princess may be able of leaving descendants if they tries to wed her off and have children at a too early age. Look at the late Queen Rhaella, she had her infamous son at 14 years, and narrowly avoided death in childbirth because she was so young! Sandor, can you really imagine me being a mother in two years?"

No, he really did not want to imagine her in bed with a much older man on top of her and nine months later risk her own life to birth a damn baby she would be too young to have. Sandor himself did not even want a future wife yet, Gregor had been betrothed to the youngest daughter of a merchant, similar to how their late mother had been a merchant daughter before marrying their father, but the death of Gregor had put a end of it, as the merchant did not want his daughter wed to a "boy who is not even of age yet", for all of that it was not uncommon for a younger son to take the role of the bridegroom among the nobility if the older brother died. But the Clegane family was landed knights, and with Sandor as the third generation, they did not have that ability.

"If Tysha passes herself off as a Clegane daughter of good health and no disability, and we finds a way to have me spend the rest of my life in a motherhouse, then not only will she bring in fresh blood into the family she might marry, she will also be saved from a future working as a common housemaid or worse, ending up in a brothel. I know, my reasons for helping her rise in status are not that noble or well-meant, but if I can mess with Tywin Lannister for wanting Gregor as a attack dog in order to make people fear House Lannister, I will be pleased."

Sandor grinned, the closest to a tender smile as he gave his sister. If Tyshara was right, Tywin Lannister would have no idea about how a peasant girl might end up married into one of his other bannermen of lesser status.

"I will find you both a septa that will be able of keeping quiet about this. Maybe we can tell her that you and Tysha are twins, just in case, and that she takes after mother more than the rest of her siblings."

Tyshara had been educated by a septa since a few years ago, but the old woman sadly found herself one of Gregor's last victims before his own death. Until then Tysha could read and write reasonably approved, as well some basic manners, as a part of forming her into Tyshara's look-alike, a septa could not be part of the Clegane household for the sake of secrecy.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

At the same time, Casterly Rock:

"_Marriage?_"

Jamie was gaping with open mouth in shock over what his father just had said, making Tywin glare in disapproval and Jamie hurried to close his mouth again at realizing why. Then, he spoke up again:

"I can not marry yet, I am only eight-and-ten…"

But Tywin would not hear any protests from his oldest son and heir. Cersei was doing her duty as a royal wife, being only a few months away from giving Westeros a new crown prince or princess, so it was just as good that her twin brother got married too.

"I was three years older when I married your mother, who was two years younger than myself, but do not think that is a excuse escape your duty. You are of age, healthy and heir to House Lannister. Your reputation, soiled as it is by killing Aerys and being kicked out of the Kingsguard, would improve if you got married and get your own heirs."

Jamie opened and closed his mouth, unable to say a single word in protest. His head was spinning with dawning horror at the realization of what this would mean for his love for his twin. Desperate for a way out or at least delay the whole thing, he recalled what once had been close to happening: that he would have the younger Tully daughter as his bride, had things been different.

"Lysa Tully was wed to Jon Arryn…"

"_I have already found you a betrothed. _A girl from our cadet branches in Lannisport, from House Lanny, with nobody questioning the reputation of her modesty or anything else that might cause a scandal. You will wed her as one of the events at the tourney I plan to hold to celebrate the birth of Cersei's child as the first royal heir of the Baratheon dynasty, _in three months._"

It took everything in his ability to not faint at those words. Three months left of freedom, and no way of escaping to Cersei in King's Landing as his father had no intention to obey King Robert's orders that Jamie was banished from the capital until the royal heir was born. Somehow, Jamie managed to express a thank you to his father for the effort to cleanse his reputation by the use of marriage, and then left.

But Jamie did not go to his chambers. No, instead he was soon found in the training yard of Casterly Rock, taking out his anger and frustration over the news on the straw dummies with a training sword.

_I will not have Robert be the father of my children! I will find a way to make this parasite die once I have given birth, if I am not lucky to have it be a stillbirth, and you shall be the father to the next one, __the real heir to the throne_ _that shall be a pure Lannister lion instead of a Baratheon stag, we only need to find a way to be alone long and enjoy our bodies as one enough much for me to conceive… _

Those words, written in the newest letter from Cersei hidden in a pocket near his heart, seemed to burn against Jamie's skin right now. His dear sister would never accept him married to another woman and siring children on her. And it was his banishment, his inability to be present at the wedding, that had caused Cersei to carry the cursed offspring of Robert Baratheon. Jamie knew from their letters that she had tried to abort the child with moon tea, but for some reason his poor sister had ended with no other result than feeling violently ill and needing to throw up the medicinal herb tea that would have cleaned her womb from the Baratheon seed that had taken fruit.

"Her next child...her next child will be mine…!"

That was the only comfort Jamie would find right now, the wish to make his twin pregnant with their shared child and hopefully have that son as a King of Westeros instead of a son sired by Robert Baratheon. That would please their father as well, for all of that it had to be kept secret from him, a grandson that would make House Lannister the royal House of the Seven Kingdoms.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

A day or so later in Minas Tirith, Gondor:

Faramir was no stranger to this kind of scene since Boromir had came of age and thus would be old enough for offers of betrothals that could lead to a future marriage with the passage of time. His brother was popular with their people, not only as the future Steward but also for being a skilled warrior. Yet this was sadly a scene bound to displease their father when he learned about it:

That Boromir once again had rejected a noble lady as a possible future wife. Not that it was anything wrong with current lady in question, she was from the nobility here in Gondor which meant a lineage of high Númenórean blood, was rather pretty in appearance and well noted for her skill at playing the harp. Yet that was not enough to charm his brother into love.

"Did she leave with tears?" he asked once the lady had left, and the elder brother seemed half ashamed at the question.

"She...seemed to also half expect to be refused, since she is hardly the first one that have came to me with the hope of marriage…"

Boromir could not explain why he was not drawn to either men or women. He had never sought a sexual relationship even when he had been at a age where it was normal to start noticing girls in a different manner than before, or even his own gender. But he was sure of one thing: he truly was more interested in arms and warfare, caring little for love save for the tales of old battles.

"You are like king Eärnur of old, brother, your love being battle and your mistress the glory of those battles."

Eärnur, the last King of Gondor who most likely had died in Minas Morgul after that the Witch-king of Angmar had challenged him to single combat, leading to the Stewards becoming the new rulers as Eärnur had never married and sired children.

"At least I have you to be my heir, should I never marry. I can dote on whatever nephews and nieces you ends up giving me with the help of whatever your own future wife might be. Heh, you could perhaps annoy father in the afterlife by marrying a lady from Rohan!"

The two brothers laughed, agreeing that a such scenario would be pleasant for them both, and it was not like Faramir was unaccustomed to ladies of the Mark, since lady Laywyn had once joked about that if it had been possible, she would gladly adopt Faramir as her own, being fond of him as if he had been a son born from her own body.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note:

The father of Gregor and Sandor is unnamed in canon, so I am having him addressed as Ser Clegane as a sign of being a landed knight. The Clegane sister is also unnamed, but I also wanted a way to let Tysha escape her horrible gang-rape in canon and also to make her Tyrion future wife in a legal way, so she is being trained by Tyshara to be able of passing herself off as the Clegane daughter

the name Tyshara comes from Tyshara Lannister, a member of House Lannister during the reign of Aegon III Targaryen and one possible choice to be his second bride in the year 133 A.C

According to the ASOIAF wiki, if a nobleman who has been betrothed dies before a political marriage can occur, a sibling or heir may take his place. An example is the case of Brandon Stark, who died before he could be wed to Catelyn Tully, after which his younger brother and the new Lord of Winterfell, Eddard Stark, married her in Brandon's place during Robert's Rebellion. But since the Clegane family are landed knights, the lowest rank of nobility, I doubts that Sandor would be a attractive replacement as a bridegroom because of his young age (about 14 currently in-story, if he really killed his first victim at age 12 during the Rebellion that lasted for nearly a year) and the horrible facial burns Gregor gave him seven years earlier

According to the timeline, Tywin was 21 years old when he married Joanna. Personally I prefer Joanna to have been born in A.C 244, making her 29 years old at her death when giving birth to Tyrion, since if she had been born in A.C 252, she would have been only 21 years old when she died and with Jamie and Cersei being 7 years older than Tyrion along with that the Lannister twins were born three years after the wedding of their parents, I seriously doubts that Joanna would have been physically mature enough for childbirth at the age of fourteen! As a adult woman, it is more reasonable to see how her influence on her husband was such that people would say that Tywin ruled the Seven Kingdoms as Hand, "but was _ruled at home_ by his lady wife."

In case it was not mentioned clearly enough in my previous author's notes or chapters, Namo and the Stranger made a agreement in that Cersei is now allergic to some of the herbs used in moon tea so she honestly can not abort Robert's children when she is pregnant with them. Joffrey is planned to be a stillbirth, while Myrcella and Tommen will have four Baratheon half-siblings as a result of this

Since Boromir never marries anyone in canon, my personal headcanon for his sexuality is that he likely is asexual, meaning that he is a person with a lack of sexual attraction to others, or low or absent interest in or desire for sexual activity.


	27. Chapter 27

_**Plans in the shadows**_

As the Dornish Prince Lewyn Martell had been one in the Kingsguard, his paramour Rhoyne and their four secret children together, had known about that he could possible face his death in the Rebellion that would be named after Robert Baratheon. As that had proved true, the family had chosen to spit up not many days before the Sack of King's Landing.

The siblings and their mother had spread out both across Westeros and Essos, but not without telling their Martell cousins Doran and Oberyn about the reasons for break up the family and potential plans of affecting the new balance of power in the Seven Kingdoms from the shadows where no one knew their true names.

Now, nearly a year had passed since the horrible day she had lost her dear prince to death. Dressing up as a older septa on the way to the Valley of Arryn, Rhoyne had somehow managed to end up in the household of the new Lady Arryn, the young miss Lysa of House Tully.

"Rhoyne! Rhoyne, the lady….!"

The reason for Lysa's distress was found on the bed sheets as Rhoyne entered the bedchamber with the maid sent to bring her there, the lady's previous lack of moon blood some weeks earlier had hinted to a possible pregnancy, but now lost in a miscarriage. From the way Lysa wailed and trembled in her whole body as tears fell from her blue eyes, the pain from the miscarriage must have triggered some trauma.

"No...no….my baby...my baby…my baby!"

Personally, Rhoyne wanted to punch Hoster Tully hard enough on the jaw to knock him out. At the age of nearly turned seven-and-ten a few months ago, Lysa was far too young as a bride for a old man like Jon Arryn, the age difference being that of a grandfather and a granddaughter. As the third wife, the youngest Tully daughter was under great pressure of giving her lord husband a male heir soon, because Jon Arryn was not growing any younger.

"Lady Lysa, here, something to calm yourself with."

Plain chamomile tea which Rhoyne used to maker her own sleep easier, but it seemed to be what Lysa needed, for her fearful reaction hinted to that she might have expected something else.

Yet when the maids had changed the sheets and helped Lysa lay down to sleep again though the night, a whisper left her lips as Rhoyne checked if the young lady had really fallen asleep:

"Not moon tea..._**not moon tea, father**_..."

The terror in the whisper told the former paramour that this ran deeper than being married to a such old husband.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

The following morning, Rhoyne ordered the maids to draw a hot bath for their lady, and to leave the two alone. Lysa was crying again, no doubt mourning her lost babe.

"Did you have a nightmare yesterday, mylady? You mentioned your father in sleep."

Lysa tensed up, then it changed into fury.

"He stole everything I held dear, always focusing on Catelyn!"

Being the middle daughter of a midwife from the Dornish Marches before she had caught Lewyn into a relationship that had lasted nearly their whole life, Rhoyne could spot signs of resenting a sibling of the same gender. She had not been the prettiest sister either, nor the one who got all the attention from suitors for her quick wit.

"Your reaction on all the blood on the sheet...did he steal the life of the baby you might have given Lord Arryn after the wedding night?"

Rhoyne bended forwards, so she only whispered:

"With _moon tea_? In the hope of making Catelyn the winner in the double wedding by giving Eddard Stark a healthy heir?"

Because Rhoyne asked so motherly with no judgement in her voice, something broke for Lysa as the memories of her abort resurfaced. Crying openly liked a child, she told everything. Of her love for Petyr Baelish, how he always liked her sister more, the time she had given him her maidenhead in secret, the duel against Brandon Stark which Petyr had lost, the night he had placed his seed in her womb while calling her "Cat" in the fever dream, and how Hoster Tully tricked her into drinking moon tea to abort the child when she had confessed to why she felt sick every morning at the smell of the roasted fishes to breakfast.

And how she yesterday had found the names of Petyr and his father on the list of the noblemen and knights from the Valley of Arryn that had died in the Rebellion during the Battle of the Bells.

"Do you know roughly how much moon tea he gave you, Lysa?" Rhoyne asked, and when Lysa made a hint with her hands against a large goblet of steel, the false septa let out a such amount of foul words against Hoster Tully that Lysa got completely shocked. All the knowledge that she had learned under her mother's guidance, about the female body and pregnancy, different ways to do an abortion or prevent pregnancy, and how to assist in childbirth were still there in her mind. By the seven hells, she had even delivered her own grandson by her oldest daughter only two months before Elia had been blessed with Aegon!

"That _**ignorant fool **_who dare to call himself a good father! That is far too much moon tea to avoid future harm on the female body, I bet that some of its effect are still within you, after all this time! You need to become detoxified at once, to avoid that all your future pregnancies does not result in stillbirth or miscarriage!"

Calling back the maids, Rhoyne requested Lysa to do nothing else than rest today, because it was clear that the lost blood during the night had drained her strength.

Thankfully Jon Arryn had remained in the capital after the coronation of Robert Baratheon and his marriage to Cersei Lannister, and were unlikely to return home for a few months yet. That would give Lysa enough long time of not needing to do her duties in the marriage bed while getting detoxified from the remains of the moon tea. Rhoyne knew that Lysa would never get her original fertility back, but hopefully this would help her in getting living children that hopefully could make her loveless marriage a little easier to endure until the day she became a widow. Given the age difference between Jon Arryn and his third wife, no one would be surprised if she became a widow in her late 20s or early 30s, depending on how long time Lord Arryn had left in the world of the living.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Holly, the second daughter of Lewyn and Rhoyne, had returned to King's Landing once the infamous Sack was over. By choosing the disguise of a septa, just like her mother and older sister, no one would think of her as a Sand bastard from Dorne.

"Being here in the capital, allows me to be the eyes of House Martell on the Baratheon-Lannister court, and hopefully find out a clue to what really happened with Elia…"

As one of many septas of various ages that served at the royal court, given that it was not impossible that Queen Cersei would give birth to a princess, Holly was not surprised over that the Faith wanted to ensure that the new royal heir would grow up pious and respecting religion after how Aerys and Rhaegar had acted.

"The godswood, where she and her children vanished…"

Of course there was no traces for her to find, for Baratheon soldiers and servants at the royal court had already searched the forest several times in an attempt to find the missing former Crown Princess and her two children. With Rhaella Targaryen dead in childbirth and her two surviving children escaping into exile in Essos, that left little Rhaenys and Aegon as the last Targaryens here in Westeros. House Martell viewed Ashara Dayne as a hero for ensuring that no one outside the Tower of Joy would know about Lyanna Stark having been pregnant with the child of Rhaegar, or the true manner of her death.

"Elia would never accept the wolf-girl as a second queen after her in rank, or as a sister-wife akin to the original Visenya and Rhaenys!"

Despite that Elia was nearly seven years older, she and Holly had always been close. In fact, at becoming a Kingsguard, Lewyn had brought his family along to King's Landing so Elia would have some family members close, for only Rhoyne had been spotted visiting him by the other Kingsguard and their children acting as spies for their Martell cousins.

"I need to write a new letter to Morgan and through him, tell cousin Doran that nothing have changed so far…" Holly thought for herself, her youngest brother staying at Sunspear with their Martell cousins as he still was only a youngster at five and ten, too young to be able to mask himself as a maester like his older brother Arash.

They may not have been able to predict what would happen, but the descendants of Lewyn Martell would do everything in their limited power to ensure that Elia could return to Dorne with her children.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Essos, the Free City of Pentos:

Arash, the oldest son of Lewyn and Rhoyne, had joined with his sister Lemore in sailing to Essos to see if there was anything to suggest that Rohan was a distant part of the unknown world. Being adults, no one would raise a eye of the pair of siblings pretending to be travellers, or the children of a old merchant trying to help their father find new customers or markets to sell their goods on.

Right now they were looking around on the big markets in Pentos, dressed up as native people of Pentos to blend in.

"It was Jon Connington we saw there in the distance, no doubt. That redhead was impossible to miss, as often he could be found around that unfaithful silver prince…"

Arash began to hum on a song which lyrics he had improvised at realizing why the landed knight always was found with Rhaegar, and why he seemed so displeased whatever their dear cousin Elia was with the prince. That resulted in a playful smack on his arm by Lemore, followed by a cheerful laugh from a young toddler.

"I do not think "_The un-mounted griffin lord_" is the best to sing around a pair of young ears, dear brother."

In fact, there was another reason to why Lemore had joined Arash to Essos instead of hiding herself as a septa at some important family in the Seven Kingdoms:

"Yes, yes, Griff, look what I have here for you. Candied ginger!"

It was honest, pure coincidence that Lemore had fallen pregnant from a short affair with a merchant from the Westerlands, and given birth to her son only two months before Agon had been born. Griff, as the boy was named, also happened to inherit a big deal from his non-Dornish lineage; only a light tan as skin tone, very bright blue eyes and fair hair that possibly came from his distant Targaryen blood six generations ago, from the princess Daenerys who had married Maron Martell. If Griff and Elia's son Aegon would be seated beside each other in the age they currently was, with only two months of a age difference, they would look enough similar to almost be twins.

"Ma. Ma, ma, ma, ma!" Griff babbled all suddenly from Lemore's arms when they entered a alleyway that was a shortcut to the inn where they stayed, and Arash noticed too late the shadow behind them. A hard hit in the back of his head by something heavy, a cut-off scream from Lemore before she too was knocked unconscious.

But the attack happened to be witnessed by a servant girl from the inn, as she had been at the market to buy some extra food for the kitchen, and she saw the two huge slaves steal the crying Griff from the arms of his mother before running off towards the manse of Illyrio Mopatis. A fellow maid at that manse had told her just yesterday that a man from Westeros with red hair had been there, talking about a silver prince and his son, about the missing Dornish woman who had vanished with the heir of Rhaegar Targaryen.

Running back to the inn, the servant girl brought some help to carry the two unconscious guests back, and to bring a healer to treat any injuries. When Arash and Lemore woke up again in their shared room, they were told what had happened to little Griff.

"It can be no one else than Jon Connington! If Illyrio Mopatis claims my Griff as the real Aegon for that damned griffon lord, and that Elia managed to escape here to the Free cities before dying with Rhaenys, he would swallow that lie whole because he never accepted Elia as the legal wife, since he wanted to be _**bedded like a male whore **_by that idiotic prince!"

Lemore was horrified to lose her son, but Arash managed to calm her down somewhat before she rushed off to do something dangerous. If Griff was going to be raised like a Targaryen, how now Jon Connington intended to deal with his education, she had a chance to be united with her son later:

As a septa teaching him about the Faith of the Seven.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note; I honestly hate how Hoster Tully treated Lysa about the whole thing with Petyr and the abortion. As a man that never needs to think of how to prevent pregnancy, it is very unlikely that he, not being a trained maester, even would know a "safe" dose of moon tea and given the hints of that Lysa almost bled to death during the abortion, I think that he basically threw all the ingredients at learning that she was pregnant and realized too late that his actions ruined her trust in him and also damaged her fertility by poisoning her though a far too strong amount of tansy and pennyroyal which are POISONOUS in RL

About Petyr and his father dying in the Rebellion in this AU: I HATE how creepy he is in canon with Sansa, who is underage to him being in his early 30s and his life-long obsession with Catelyn despite that she is happy married with five children from Ned. Here, lord Baelish had enough of his son complaining about how Hoster Tully would wed off his oldest daughter to a "northern savage" and dragged Petyr along as a squire to the rebellion to make him stop being sulky about the events at Riverrun, but they both died in the Battle of the Bells

Arash means "bright arrow" in Persian, and I liked the idea of Lewyn possibly playing around with the names of his children to both be Dornish names and names that is not from Dorne.

Young Griff as the biological son of septa Lemore, and her as a Sand daughter of Lewyn Martell? Of course! I wanted to avoid him being a secret Blackfyre, the son of Illyrio Mopatis with his second wife Serra who came from Lys, or a illegitimate son of Rhaegar sired on someone else than Lyanna or Elia. Besides, would it not a huge irony if a grandson of Leywn Martell was mistaken as a Targaryen and raised to think of himself as the rightful king of Westeros?


	28. Chapter 28

**Contact with family, part 1 **

As Elia wanted Éomer and Éowyn to know what her lessons was going to be about, she used a shared riding with the younger sibling duo outside Edoras to explain part of why they might need those skills later in life.

"As heirs to our fedra after cousin Théodred, I think it would be a poor idea to focus those lessons only on me, especially if there will be a war at some point in the future. While there never have been a ruling Queen of Rohan, Éowyn could possibly find herself in the role of lady Hild, the sister to King Helm Hammerhand by being the mother of a sister-son as a backup heir," Éomer said as they allowed their horses to grazing some of the new spring grass. His sister actually admitted that she would rather be happy to avoid a such responsibility for both herself and any future descendants of hers, because a son of hers ending up as King of Rohan would mean that her beloved uncle, cousin and brother had to die in order for that to happen.

Elia had to agree with the younger girl, when she thought of her own brothers and their children. A such position of power would not be worth the emotional pain, and the loss of many family members that Éowyn had known and loved her whole life in different ways.

"One important part of my lessons for you is to know how to behave in foreign courts, for while being honest is a good way, it may not always be welcomed because of different values and culture."

Despite that this was the first time she acted as a teacher, with actual lessons to teach students, Elia quickly found out that both Éomer and Éowyn did their best to understand what she explained in this first lesson of court intrigues. She agreed that with three healthy heirs, King Théoden were unlikely to let his son and nephew become rivals, but the situation could change with their marriages in the future.

"If Théodred have a fruitful marriage that gives him several children, that brings the two of you further down in the line of succession for each child that survives to adulthood. For example, my older brother have two children, but I would not be surprised if he might have fathered a third one, a second niece or nephew, by the time I returns home to Dorne. That would make me his fourth heir after his own children, as I am one year older than Oberyn, my second brother."

Her two students were smart, which she had found out many times before during her stay here in Rohan, and they in turn used this first lesson to tell her of what they had learned about their neighbor kingdom Gondor and Dol Amroth, a hereditary princedom.

"The youngest child of the current Prince of Dol Amroth is a daughter, so I think that if there were not a such huge age difference between them, she could have been a possible choice for Théodred as a bride."

"And how old are this young lady, then?" Elia asked, which caused Éomer to make a mental estimation, a movement that made him seem almost like a younger version of his cousin.

"If I am right, she is seven years old in a month or so."

Twenty-one years younger than Théodred, which ruled her out at once, since he would need a wife that was of age and able of falling pregnant with a child as soon as possible. Far too young to even be able to get offers of a future betrothal yet. Elia recalled what she had heard about Hoster Tully marrying his second daughter Lysa to Jon Arryn, old enough to be the poor girl's grandfather, as a way to bring in the Vale of Arryn into the Rebellion outside being the foster father of Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon. She knew that Jon Arryn had lost a nephew, Elbert Arryn that had been a son of his brother and the original heir to the Vale of Arryn, because Elbert had been killed on the orders of Aerys because he had joined Brandon Stark on the foolish journey to King Landing where the Stark heir had doomed them all by demanding Rhaegar's head for vanishing with Lyanna Stark.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

The afternoon before the journey to Aldburg, Elia sought up Mereliss for a fairly private matter.

"You want to confirm for yourself that the male healers were wrong about you not being able to have more children after Aegon?"

Granted, Elia had gotten her monthly visitor nearly each month as she had stayed here in Rohan, as she had started to gain back weight so she were not so thin anymore, but she wanted to hear it from someone who knew about the female body.

"I also need some new linen cloth pads for the next one, I have used up all the ones last month and I have not managed to fill them all with softed grass."

Here in Rohan, with the endless sea of grass, it was perfectly normal for women to sew cloth pads to use during the monthly visitor and stuff them up with dry grass after rubbing the grass soft between their hands. Held in place by a T-shaped girdle made by long ribbons, the pads was washed and reused, but the bloodied grass was in general disposed in the hearth, since it was still useful despite the fluid.

"Are you familiar with having a midwife checking your private parts? I have had women visiting that have never let anyone look down there."

"My late maternal uncle's _life partner_ is the middle daughter of a midwife, and she did learn a lot from that profession despite not really being a midwife herself. Still I preferred her help when it was something I wondered about, after the births of my children."

Elia was not sure if people here in Rohan would understand the role of a paramour, so she used a different word in the hope of that she would not need to explain why Lewyn and Rhoyne had been unable to marry outside their original social status.

Mereliss had a separate room in her house for female visitors that needed her help as a midwife in some form. It was not that big, but it did not feel cramped either. What surprised Elia, however, was the sight of a large mirror of stainless steel, polished so it really seemed like a glass mirror, on the opposite wall against the little window where the sunlight was pouring in.

"A gift from the King for helping with the birth of the Prince, despite that lady Elfhild did not survive the blood loss she suffered after that she had given Rohan a new heir."

A bed with a thick mattress, made by stuffing grass into the bed sheet before sewing it closed, was where the female visitors would lay on for examination after stripping down to only the chemise since many layers of clothes made it difficult to see clearly. Mereliss knew how to distract Elia by some basic questions, such as what she recalled from her two pregnancies and the births.

"Given that little Rhaenys and Aegon are born only fifteen months apart, and you needed a bed rest on six months her birth, I have to agree that you were not given enough time to heal. That you nearly died at Aegon's birth reveals some details as well. But I would not claim you barren yet, for with my over thirty years of experience as a midwife, I think that you would be able to _**survive a third pregnancy and childbirth,**_ if you are waiting a few more years to make a bigger age difference between little Aegon and that child, as well not share a bed with a man during that time. But that pregnancy would likely be your last one, for based on your own health, a fourth pregnancy would be too much for you."

It felt as if a burden was lifted from Elia's chest at those news. That she was not barren yet, that her moonblood was a proof of that her womb was still able of accepting the seed of a man and hopefully have a third child if she did not suffer a miscarriage.

"_I will ask Oberyn to give Pycelle a slow, painful death by poison for daring to claim that I became barren after the difficult birth of my son, since that was the excuse that silver fool used to vanish with that wolf-girl…!_" Elia muttered in the Common Tongue of Westeros, though Mereliss could guess roughly what the younger mother must have spoken, based on the not so well-hidden bitterness in her voice. Besides, it was like Elia had kept her husband actions a very well-guarded secret, even if most of it was guesses for now until that Elia wanted to tell the whole story.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

The following morning, the royal family, their personal guards called the King's Guard and a smaller part of the royal court started the journey towards Aldburg two days after the vernal equinox, just as Théoden had said, while several of the advisors remained in Edoras to help Laywyn as she ruled the capital until that her brother came back. Originally the plan had been for Théodred to remain behind as regent so he would taste the huge responsibility that he would one day hold, but with his new goal of searching for a future wife and hopefully wed her during the celebration of the five hundred years that the Kingdom of Rohan had existed, which was happening in four years, it was better for him to come along so he could meet more maidens of suitable age and social status.

"Some of the ladies may also be more comfortable to be presented in their own home, without having to worry about any rivals that could steal the attention."

Elia could recall her own journey with her mother and Oberyn across the Seven Kingdoms to find a husband after that she had came of age. It had not resulted in a future marriage, but it had allowed the possible suitors to see her in person and find out how her personality was instead of being a stranger first met at the wedding.

"That was my logic as well. Being surrounded by other ladies with the same goal of becoming my wife, would affect our first impression of each other and that is not something I wish on any honest woman," Théodred spoke as he joined Elia, "unless it is someone with too much ambition alongside pride, lack of empathy and inability to realize that not all people can be terrified into doing something or…"

"_Tempered_ by her body below the clothes?" Elia offered for him when he did not find a good term, and as he nodded in agreement she was already imagining how someone like Cersei Lannister would never survive in Rohan because of her father and her own personality, Elia had noticed the way the Lannister daughter looked at Rhaegar and guessed that she had desired to become the future Queen consort of Westeros by marrying the crown prince.

"Mama! Look, we managed to make my doll remain sitting up instead of falling over!"

Rhaenys and Aegon clearly enjoyed what they likely viewed as a new adventure through this journey as they travelled in one of the wagons, especially as many familiar servants came along as part of the travel group to help with cooking and other tasks to be done where they would make up camp for the night. Elia also saw it as a good chance of having her children become used to travel, since if they managed to return to Dorne from this other world, there was no guarantee that their place of return would be close to Sunspear.

As they made camp for the first night after leaving Edoras, Éowyn thought that something was odd with one of the smaller bags she helped to take off from a wagon. It was light-weighted, but something felt strange.

"Éomer!" she called to her brother who helped to groom the horses, "can you help me a little?"

As he was older than her and growing taller for each day after entering adolescence, Éomer held up the bag so his sister could open it with the opening towards the ground.

_Letters _fell out to land on the grass, the kind of rolled-together they used in Rohan between the royal court and the nobles. But the seal was different, the language one they did not know.

"Hold on, this looks like the words Elia embroidered under the sun sigil of her family...Elia? Can you come over here and look at those?"

When Elia saw the handwriting on the letters, she fought hard to not start crying in joy.

"They are from my brothers and father. My sister-in-law as well."

No one knew how the letters had ended up in the bag, as there had been no newly arrived letters to the royal court during the past days, but right now no one had any explanation for that mystery.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note: There is very little information in RL Middle Ages about how women dealt with menstruation, but there is mentions of rags being used to stop the blood

While Elfhild did die in childbirth, there is many reasons to why she could have died given that Rohan is based on the historical Anglo-Saxon culture and there was no modern medicines or healthcare that could prevent the birth from ending badly

Trystane Martell, the second son of Doran, is born in 287 A.C so there will still be a few years before his birth, which is why Elia is only mentioning Arianne and Quentyn as the known children of her oldest brother. Since the Sand Snakes are Oberyn's bastard daughters and he also is behind Elia in the birth order, none of them would have a claim as a possible ruling Princess of Dorne


	29. Chapter 29

**Contact with family, part 2 **

Author note: I know that this chapter is waited for, and it is a little delayed in posting because I will take part of a theme week in another fandom of mine at the end of March and happens to be writing a couple of one-shots for that. Thank you for understanding and being patient while waiting! / Rogercat

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Sitting down at one of the campfires, Elia noticed that the letters were marked with the dates to help her find the order in which they had been written. All the three first letters from her brothers and father had the same date written in a corner, likely to ensure that hopefully one letter might reach her at least.

_My sweetest daughter of the sun, dearest Elia,_ Ihsan had started his letter by using the nickname he had given her after surviving her premature birth, _it is a such joy to finally get word from you despite that many months have passed since you wrote the letter, hearing that you and both the children are alright. In my nightmares, I feared a situation of that I would need to tell your mother in the afterlife that I had no idea whatever you three were alive or not. Now that worry can be put down, at least._

Elia smiled a little sadly at that, understanding her father. It would be every caring parent's worst nightmare to not know what had happened to a child, whatever adult or still a minor. As a mother herself, she understood that horror even more than before. The letter from Doran, gave her a little information of what had happened in Westeros during those months she had been away:

_Dear sister, what a calming feeling I felt at learning that Rhaenys, Aegon and yourself had been saved from a most horrible fate. As you likely have not managed to get the latest news from Westeros, let me tell you instead: House Targaryen have been dethroned as the royal family of Westeros, as Aerys was slain by Jaime Lannister in the Sack of King's Landing around the same time as you three vanished from there. With Aegon officially missing with his sister and yourself, that left young Viserys as the only male Targaryen left, but as a child and with the actions of his father and brother which led to the Rebellion, he will not have much support. Robert Baratheon was crowned as the new King of Westeros a few months afterwards, and his marriage to Cersei Lannister is already going to bear fruit in a royal prince or princess soon. Dear Elia, I regret to tell you that not many days before we got your letter, Rhaella lost her life in childbirth on Dragonstone, after giving life to a daughter named Daenerys during a horrible storm that destroyed the remaining fleet of House Targaryen. The last two Targaryen children have escaped into exile in Essos, while no one outside us Martells know what have happened to you three._

Elia felt cold inside at the news of Rhaella's horrible fate. At the age of 38 years, her goodmother really should not have needed to become pregnant again, after so many failures of having children. That Rhaella had been only fourteen years old at giving birth to Rhaegar, had damaged her fertility by being too young at that first childbirth, according to what Royne had told Elia when her uncle's paramour had answered all the questions the then adolescent Elia had asked her about pregnancy and childbirth. In fact, at reading that her final child was a daughter, Elia did not doubt for a moment that if little Daenerys survived childhood, she would be wed to Viserys like their parents once her moon blood had started and undoubtedly risk to die in childbirth like Rhaella because she would be too young for it.

"Damn the Targaryens for marrying their daughters off at a dangerously low age and not realizing that being pregnant at that young age, is a invitation for them to die in childbirth…!"

This only proved further arguments to why Elia would refuse to let Rhaenys marry before the age of seventeen at the youngest. In fact, all this time that she had spent in Rohan so far, made her agree that eighteen was a very good age for coming of age. Unlike Westeros, it allowed the young men and women two added years of maturing both in body and mind, and gave them the chance to prove themselves able of become respectable adults without having to worry about marriage and having children at a young age.

_Dear Elia, as Father and Doran likely have told you in their letters, I will let you know something far more pleasant directly tied to the family: I have found myself a paramour in Ellaria Sand, with our first child already growing in her womb as I writes this. I know, it would be a lot more politically useful if I actually marries some lucky lady from the noble houses of Dorne, but Doran and Mellario are still able to have more children, and if you three returns home once the most danger have passed, that means yourself, Rhaenys and Aegon would be ahead of me to become the next ruling Prince or Princess of Dorne. No, if my use will be to add into the family numbers by having little Sands, I can do that at least. _

Of course the short letter from Mellario, which also sent her best well-wishes and hope of their return to Dorne soon, confirmed an old joke that the Martell siblings had started between them once it turned out that all of Oberyn's children born on the wrong side of the blankets had been daughters so far.

"Poor Oberyn, he is going to find himself with a deep hole in his annual income if all five of his daughters chose to marry in the future!"

Her laugh at the mental image of her younger brother making a sorrowful face at seeing the cost about a fifth wedding, caught some attention from her fellow travellers.

"Good news, I hope?"

While she still was sad over how Rhaella had ended her life, Elia hoped that the last Targaryen queen had been greeted in the afterlife by the children that originally would be the royal siblings born between Rhaegar and Viserys, but lost early in miscarriage, stillbirths or dying in the cradle.

As the adults talked near the campfire, the two younger sibling duos was enjoying some free time together before it was time for Rhaenys and Aegon to go to bed. Éomer and Éowyn recalled from their own childhood that the best way was to tire out the younger children by some form of playing, so they got tired.

"Ai! You got me, Rhaenys! And all thanks to your brother helping out!"

Some people might call it cheating by that Aegon clung his little arms around Éomer's leg to slow him down, but since he was the youngest one, Éowyn had insisted that the toddler hardly could be accosted of cheating and her own brother did agree. Anyway, Aegon had helped his own sister win the game of tag they had played for the past half hour and it was getting late with the sun setting for the night.

"Gone?" Aegon asked in confusion at seeing how Éowyn's hair had loosened so much from her earlier braid that the leather sting now was on the ground. As he pointed towards her hair, the niece of Théoden realized what he meant when feeling after if she had gotten something in her hair which should not be there in the first place. Then, both Aegon and Rhaenys yawned.

"Right, time for bed, or the adults will be unhappy with our attempt of babysitting."

Rhaenys was very happy over getting to sit on Éomer's shoulders on the way back to the tent they would share with Elia, while Aegon pulled on Éowyn's dress skirt to keep her from walking too fast.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Late in the night in the wee hours before dawn, however, Théoden was woken up by one of the guards on night duty.

"Sire, orcs are nearby."

Not good. This was hardly the first time orcs had crossed over the Entwash river, but it was alarming that they had came so deep into the Folde region of Rohan, especially as it was the center of the kingdom and homeland of the royal family with Aldburg being the original capital before Edoras had been built.

"Théodred, get up!"

His son groaned over being woken up, but hurried to dress himself in armour with some help of the servants who also helped their King.

"Éomer! Éoywn! Stay with Elia and her children, I do not want you to leave the camp to risk injury because I can not keep a eye on you!"

The two royal cousins looked a little disappointed about the order, until that Théodred made a fair point of that surely their late parents would not be happy to have them join the afterlife already because of pride? Besides, as the heir of Rohan hurried to add, sometimes defending innocents was at least as important as combat.

"Forth Eorlingas!" Théoden called to the guards, and a war horn were sound as he led them in the ride. From the distance, a response was heard. They were not the only ones who had seen the orcs tonight.

As the warriors rode off, a few remaining behind to guard the camp and those there in case some of the orcs managed to get closer, Elia tried to calm down her children, who were scared of what was going on.

"Elia...does Dorne have orcs or anything similar sometimes attacking the borders?" Éomer wondered over his shoulder, seeing how pale she was in terror while trying to make Rhaenys stop crying, doing her best to hold Aegon in her other arm too. Had the sound of battle triggered the memories of what Théodred saved her from?

"No...we are surrounded by the sea for most of the borders, and I seriously doubt that anyone would be able to sneak into the pass of the Boneway and the gateway of Prince's Pass in the Red mountains without being been by the guards who are on guard duty there...!"

Instinctively, she managed to grab hold of a spear Éoywn offered, likely to offer the adult woman some mental calmness by the feeling of a weapon in hand. But as Elia did so, something else happened:

Because her palm was covered by the spear, no one could see that for a moment, a glowing image of a spear revealed itself for a brief moment before vanishing again.

But in the far away lands of Rhûn, something had been triggered: The ruins of a ancient palace, in a city nearly buried in sand as time had passed alongside changes in the climate. A pillar of golden light, almost as bright as the sun in the sky, suddenly became visible as a long-forgotten magic from the distant past was awakened.

And somewhere in the fortress of Dol Guldur, the Nazgûl once known under the name of Khamûl let out a haunting scream of pain as one ancient scar, still there on his chest despite him no longer having a physical form anymore, reminded him of a injury he once had suffered not long after accepting the Ring of Power Sauron had given him.

"_**Martell...!**_" he growled, trying to not kneel from the overwhelmingly pain he had not felt for nearly 4 189 years. Had he been having a mortal body in that moment, a glowing scar in the shape of a golden spear would have been visible.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note: In my ASOIAF stories save for my modern AU story called How behavior affects relationships, I have Rhaella be born in 145 A.C, making her fourteen at the birth of Rhaegar, if only to give her one more year to have her physically mature slightly to avoid that she got pregnant only a few months after getting her first period and also avoid dying in that first childbirth because she honestly got pregnant far too young for her own health and future ability to have children

As for Elia believing that Daenerys will not have the same luck as Rhaella and surviving her first childbirth, think of the different situation between them: in the books Daenerys is wed to Drogo at age 13 and already pregnant by the time she realizes that it is her 14th birthday in the GOT book. Being only in her early teenage years, Daenerys would likely be small for her age, and unlike Rhaella who have been living as royalty her whole life, which would mean regular meals without thinking of when you might get it next time, a warm home without needing to sleep outdoors on the cold ground during different weathers, servants for her needs and comforts and the care of maesters for illnesses, Daenerys have been in exile her whole life and her childbirth would have happened out in the wildness far away from the nearest city with people that could help her in case of complications during the birth, with only the help from Dothraki midwives

Folde is an ancient and historic region of Rohan, close to the King's courts in Edoras, which indeed originally held the King's seat at the town of Aldburg. Being the homeland of the royal family, the Folde was the centre of the kingdom.

The Nazgûls were first observed around year 2251 of the Second Age, and soon became Sauron's primary servants. Despite their great power and position as instruments of Sauron's will, not much is known of their activities during the Second Age. They were temporarily dispersed after Sauron's downfall in SA 3434 during the war of Last Alliance of Elves and Men.


	30. Chapter 30

**Aldburg **

Unknown to Elia, she was not the only one to have that magical mark of a spear on her palm for a moment.

In the Old Palace, where the whole Martell family and their various branches currently had gathered for being present at unveiling a shared monument for the late Aria Martell, the past ruling Princess of Dorne and her brother Lewyn, her two brothers and their children were all woken up before dawn by a sudden pain on their left palm.

"What is this…?" Doran wondered in disbelief as he sat up in bed, Mellario opening one of her eyes at his movement but otherwise not waking up, seeing how the mark vanished like it had not been there. Had his two children the same mark showing up or not?

Oberyn and Ellaria, on the other hand, got visited by his four oldest daughters as Obara and Nymeria had left their own bedrooms at the sound of Sarella suddenly crying and escorted the two younger ones from their nursery since the corridor between Oberyn's bedchamber and the nursery were not that long.

"Sarella had a nightmare, papa," Tyene explained in a sleepy voice, as her currently youngest half-sister teary-eyed tugged on the sleeping tunic of Obara and nightgown of Nymeria with both her little hands on each side for comfort.

"My little one seems to agree with Sarella, given how I was woken up by those kicks all suddenly," Ellaria commented, placing a hand on her swollen belly in a attempt to make the kicks stop.

"Thanks for escorting Sarella here despite that you could have returned to sleep," Oberyn said to his older daughters, and when Sarella climbed up in his bed for a hug, he took the chance to check her left palm.

No glowing mark of a spear, but somehow he did not doubt that his daughters and his niece and nephew had also had that strange mark on their left palms for a moment. What did that mean? A warning for that Elia, Rhaenys and Aegon possibly being in danger? Or something else?

~X~X~X~X~X~X

When the sun rose, everything was quiet again in the camp and the servants took the time to make breakfast. No one among the adults were surprised over that Rhaenys and Aegon turned out to become really grumpy at the moment because of how early they had woken up because of the alarm.

"Wow, what a difference from his normal behavior…"

Especially Aegon were the opposite of his usual mood, given that he generally was a such quiet child, even throwing a rare temper tantrum and stomping with his little feet as the camp was packed up. On the other hand, given how early Rhaenys and Aegon had woken up today, most of the experienced parents in the travel company understood that especially Aegon suffered from a fatigue tantrum at the moment

"No! No, no, no, no!"

Despite that it could have been handled by one of the servants or Elia herself, the King of Rohan picked up the boy with a gentle scolding, which surprised the toddler to the point of stopping the temper tantrum:

"Now, now, Aegon. If you screams like that, you will only end up with a sore throat and that is not nice of you would like to talk later."

Again Elia was dumbstruck by the massive difference between Aerys and King Théoden. Her now thankfully dead goodfather had never viewed Rhaenys and Aegon as being "worthy" Targaryens for taking after their Dornish maternal family instead of their paternal family in the form of the typical Valyrian features House Targaryen had: pale skin, silver, platinum, or gold hair and eyes in a variety of shades of purple, or light blue. In fact, Aerys had never touched either one of his two grandchildren, and never bothered to soften his insults aimed towards Elia if they were around to hear.

But Théoden was already acting almost like they were his own grandchildren, for Elia knew that he had a soft spot for both Rhaenys and Aegon, for all of that they were not of his own blood at all. As a widowed father with no second wife, Théoden had raised his only son as a single parent with the help of his mother and sisters.

"_By Mother Rhoyne, now I am imagining how a meeting between father and the King of Rohan would go! It is how tender they are around small children!_" she realized, at noting how she could see some similarity between Théoden and her own father Ihsan in the way they acted around young children, for Ihsan had been much delighted not only by Doran's children, but enjoying Oberyn's Sand daughters despite that they were born on the wrong side of the blanket and that he could never meet the mothers of the four oldest.

"Come on, it is time for leaving."

Both the children settled back into one of the carriages at the front of the ridge so they could see her, Elia mounted her mare and joined the members of the royal family at the front.

Thankfully Rhaenys and Aegon soon fell asleep against some of the bedrolls not long after that they had started the travel again, rocked to sleep by the regular movements of the carriage and the sound of horse hooves against the ground. No one of the riders spoke when this was discovered, for it needed to be quiet around the two children so they would not be woken up all suddenly and become even more grumpy than before in reaction to not being allowed to sleep.

Not far from the camp, the dead bodies of orcs laid on the ground. For Elia, who had never seen such creatures before, the sight made it more clear than everything previous that Arda indeed was nothing like Westeros. Yet her attempt of masking her horrified reaction were not fully successful, as it betrayed that she were not familiar with those monsters at all. But the royals of Rohan did not comment, Elia had already confirmed without saying it openly that she were from a distant country where it likely were too hot for orcs to manage to make raids, and that she most likely were more used to monsters in human form instead.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

When they were only a hour away from Aldburg, Éomer and Éoywn took the chance to enlight Elia about something they had not gotten time to speak of before.

"Your grandmother might come to Aldburg as well?"

This reminded Elia that she had not meet other members of the royal family in Rohan. Laywyn had said that the two widowers after Mildwyn and Sunnwyn had remarried once the mourning period after the royal brides had ended, and that one of the late Éomund's most trusted men were acting Third Marshal of the Riddermark until that Éomer were of age and ready to take over the role his father once had held in life.

"Yes. Grandmother Morwen have not been in Edoras during your stay because she broke her hip a few months before you arrived, and with her current age of 84 years, it took longer for that injury to heal than if she had been younger."

That was understandable, a such injury on a older person could become fatal if it were not healed correctly, or indirectly lead to death if it was backed up by some illness that made recovery unlikely.

Aldburg were less grand than Edoras, but it still held a importance of being the first capital of Rohan. And the city was very much alive by its people doing what needed to be done now when spring had arrived. The royal family had been expected, so everyone wanted to see them enter though the main gate.

"Fastwine!" Éoywn called at seeing the old friend of their late father, who just had been talking to his own wife and turned around to see who that had called his name. When he noticed who it was, he smiled.

"Here is two young foals who have grown a lot since I last saw you almost four years ago!"

As his cousins enjoyed to once again see the faces of the old servants from their childhood home, and the King asked other high-ranking men if their group had been the only ones attacked by orcs this passing night, did Théodred learn something that he would need to warn Elia about:

Boromir, the oldest son of the Steward of Gondor, was about to arrive here to Aldburg within the following day, likely on a diplomatic mission from his father.

And given how Elia first had reacted on the now late Cearo, Erkenbrand's sixteen-year-old sister-in-law, when that girl had been one of the rare Rohirrim to be dark-haired without any blood relation to Gondor or the Dunlendings, there was a huge risk if that she might not react well on seeing Boromir if he too resembled someone from her past.

"I better tell her now, so she can be somewhat ready on that Boromir arrives," the Prince of Rohan thought for himself as he went to see where Elia and her children had gone.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note: triggers of tantrums in toddlers can be several ones, and fatigue tantrums occur when a child is tired.

The Rhoynar worshiped a number of river-themed nature gods. Their primary god was Mother Rhoyne, or Mother River, the personification of the river Rhoyne itself.

Fastwine is a Old English name meaning Firm friend

Dunlendings, also known as the Gwathuirim, were the ferocious, tall and vicious men that lived in Dunland, close to Rohan. Also called the Wild Men of Dunland, they had long been enemies of the Rohirrim, because they were jealous that the rich lands of the old Númenórean province of Calenardhon were granted by the Gondorians to the Rohirrim instead of them.

Quick question: Do you readers think that I should add Morwen, the mother of Théoden and his sisters, to the cast in Rohan? She might live on a jointure somewhere closer to the border of Gondor, since that is her homeland, and could possibly act as a contrast to Rhaella in same manner as Théoden is a foil to Aerys


	31. Chapter 31

**Son of the Steward of Gondor **

Author's note: I am seriously having way too much fun with the in-story joke about Théodred being mistaken as the real father of Rhaenys and Aegon, really. I think that is going to be a true running gag until that he and Elia starts their romance for real.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Despite having warned Elia about that Boromir might look like someone from her past, Théodred still felt uneasy about how their first meeting would go. So in order to make it as smooth as possible, he chose to ride out to see if he could find Boromir before he arrived to Aldburg.

"If it is that Elia's husband thought that he would be able to abandon her and the children somewhere far away from her homeland Dorne, and maybe start over in Gondor with his mistress acting as the legal wife…"

No, that sounded far too much like the plot from one of those love stories that Elia had said that she hated. The ones where the couple in love actually brought disaster to those around them, and given that the countries in the far south had cultures that was vastly different from Gondor and Rohan, Théodred somehow doubted that her husband would be able to hide himself for long. He only hoped that it was not a deserter from the army of Gondor that had attacked Elia on their first meeting, because while its people were the descendants of Númenórean colonists, somehow the Prince of Rohan doubted that a such tall man would not have gained some form of attention.

"I better ask Boromir if he knows anything, or possible rumors…"

Deserters were dangerous, because they could fall for the temptation of becoming traitors to their homelands if a enough high reward were promised. Greed, jealousy, resentment, desire for power and ambition to get a better social position could all be the ground for someone crossing the line and perhaps becoming the reason to Sauron or one of his minions gaining power in a place where his enemies ruled.

"I pray for that it will not happen to Rohan…!"

Théodred feared a such scenario happening in his own homeland. All the former Kings of Rohan belonged to the same dynasty, but his father and himself were of the Second Line, created by the tenth King, Fréaláf Hildeson, who had succeeded his maternal uncle Helm Hammerhand as both of Helm sons had died with their father during the invading of the Dunlendings, Haleth remaining in Edoras until that he was slain at the doors to Meduseld, and Háma being lost in a snowstorm when he had led a group out from Helm Deep to try and find more food as the Hornburg were besieged.

No, Éomer would not have to take the throne of Rohan after a similar situation, Théodred swore for himself. It was not his four paternal aunts' fault that two of them had died without offspring in their marriages, the oldest one never marrying and his youngest aunt only managing to have two surviving children. And no one blamed his own mother Elfhild for dying in childbirth, not even the most skillful midwife or healer could always help if there were complications during a birth. No, the best way to avoid that Éomer became the first King of a Third Line, was to find a suitable lady to marry and sire a couple of children so his two cousins came further down in the line of succession.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

A few hours away from Aldburg, did he find Boromir in the middle of letting his horse rest a bit so it would regain some energy for the last travel to Aldburg.

"Look who's coming to meet up early!" Boromir spoke up in Rohirric with a noticeable dialect that revealed that he was not born and raised in Rohan. Théodred smiled at seeing his friend, before he dismounted and letting Silvermoon graze on the spring grass as well after taking off the saddle and bridle.

"It is good to see you after over two years since I visited Gondor. Duties are hard to escape from," Théodred responded in Westron, the Common Speech of all the areas once ruled by Gondor and Arnor, as it was under his grandfather King Thengel that the language began to be used in the royal court of Rohan since he had been living in Gondor for many years, and thus his own father Théoden, aunt Laywyn, himself, Éomer, and Éowyn became all functionally bilingual in Rohirric and Common Speech as a result. Laughing in a friendly manner because of how true that was for them both, Boromir hugged the Prince of Rohan as a sign of their friendship. The two adult men had known each other from adolescence despite rarely meeting, bonding over being the future rulers of their homelands.

"Your last letter before my travel here was a bit strange, though. Can you tell me more details given that you requested me to burn the parchment after reading, out of worry that my father would find the letter and start asking unpleasant questions?" Boromir asked once they had shared a simple meal of bread, cheese and some fresh water from a waterskin.

Better to start it at once, then, since it was mentioned directly. Bidding Boromir to sit down on the ground, for it was going to be a long tale, Théodred started from the beginning. How he first had met Elia and her children as they were being chased by a unnatural tall man in steel armour in Fangorn Forest, the hints of that someone seemed to be out after her life, and what he guessed to be the reason to why she had ended up in Rohan, so far from her own homeland.

"You fear that her husband wanted her killed to avoid that she revealed him to possibly have sworn service to Sauron, and that a possible deserter from Gondor was given the task? And that her husband also wanted her replaced by a new wife?"

It was a lot to take in, a tale that sounded almost too unreal to be true, but on the other hand, Boromir were not surprised that Théodred has saved the foreign woman and her children. His friend cared deeply for those who were in need of protection, and it was hardly the first time it happened.

"As far as she have told, yes. Laith did mention that there is...tension between the different lands of Rhûn. His own homeland is not fully supporting Sauron, they are secretly against him but their sultan and his whole extended family are held as prisoners in their own palace, while the members of the royal court is terrified of doing anything that could get the whole royal family killed as punishment. No one with common sense wants to be remembered as the reason to why the ruling dynasty is obliterated down to very distant blood relatives. The empire would enter a civil war about the empty throne on up of getting caught in a war against our homelands."

Boromir shuddered at the mental image, not something pleasant indeed. Instead, he asked Théodred for the drawing the Prince of Rohan had done off the attacker, for all of that it was just a basic sketch made with a piece of charcoal for now. He noticed something unusual at once, the man who had attacked Elia had a rather unusual body shape for a man of Gondor, they were known to be tall, yes, and some of the body shape could be formed by the armour, but his people were not in general built like a human version of a mountain troll. And the sigil were strange as well.

"Three black dogs on a yellow field? Not a sigil I have seen in Gondor, at last, among the personal coat of arms used by the nobles living in Minas Tirith or the families."

As the Stewards of Gondor ruled the Kingdom on behalf of the King until that the throne would be claimed by someone of the Royal House, it was only natural that Boromir would learn the different banners belonging to various noble families.

"Perhaps some soldier who have saved his money and paid a embroiderer to make it as his personal emblem?"

Boromir snorted, common soldiers in the army of Gondor were not allowed to stand out in any way, least they might be mistaken for captains or other important commanders. In fact, that was punishable by having the offender be sent to a quarry for two years.

"Right, we can not stay here all day. People back at Aldburg might wonder if you have gotten lost and I am trying to find you."

That made Boromir laugh again, since it was very easy to get lost on the wide steppes of Rohan if you did not know which way to ride.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Back at Aldburg, queen mother Morwen had arrived with her escort from the jointure where she lived. Because of her previously broken hip that limited her mobility somewhat even with a walking stick as support, Théoden proved himself a caring son by gently lifting his mother out from the small horse-drawn cart she had been traveling in. It had been pure luck that she had not needed surgery for her recovery, but everyone had still feared for how it could affect her life in the longer run.

"Laywyn visited me on the way back to Edoras when she was retiring from the Rangers of Ithilien, so no worry about that she could not come along on this journey, dear son."

Elia, who had seen the King and his mother on a safe distance, realized at once something that was bound to cause a misunderstanding for Rhaenys; With Morwen having greying hair that was mostly silver now, set up in braided twin plaits down her dark purple dress, it would be easy for her daughter to mistake the queen mother of Rohan for the young girl.

"_Abuela Rhaella!_"

Too late, Rhaenys had already spotted Morwen and out of worry for that the older woman might take offensive, Elia hurried after her daughter as Rhaenys crossed the yard.

"_**Your lady mother is dressed in almost the same colour on her dress and hair style as my mother-in-law was at the last time we saw her, Théoden King!**_"

Yet at hearing Elia attempting to explain why Rhaenys had said so, and realizing what she meant, Morwen did something unexpected; ignoring her hip, she bent down on one knee to catch Rhaenys in a hug.

"My, what a big girl you have become, sweetie," the older widow smiled at Rhaenys, while her son whispered in Sindarin just to ensure that the young girl would not understand what he said:

"Mother, do not risk to damage your hip further by lifting her up!"

Morwen gave him a sideglare that promised Théoden that she would not do anything such, understanding that his worry was based on that it was a really bad idea to lift anything heavy. Then, when Elia came closer and did a curtsy as part of her greeting, Morwen welcomed her warmly, for she knew how it could be to a stranger in Rohan despite that unlike Elia, Morwen had known what would happen when she married her late husband Thengel.

"Grandmother Morwen!"

Now Éomer and Éowyn arrived as well, bringing Aegon with them as the toddler had been hesitant to follow his mother and sister. After all, unlike Rhaenys who was fifteen months older, Aegon were very unlikely to even remember his paternal grandmother Rhaella from the short two weeks the wives and children of Aerys II and Rhaegar had spent together inside Maegor's Holdfast before Rhaella and Viserys had been sent to Dragonstone.

"I can see why Théodred is charmed by those two, perhaps your presence is what he needs to actually stop having such trouble in finding a lady to start a family of his own with, he is not very good at talking with women for all of that he have a good character," Morwen smiled at Elia once she had given over Rhaenys to her son and given both her younger grandchildren a hug alongside compliments on how much they have grown since moving to Edoras.

Then two new riders arrived though the main gate of Aldburg. Théodred and a man who was far more dark-haired than the Rohirrim. Seeing a chance to show some of the hidden playful side of her personality that few besides her immediate family, friends and servants knew about, Morwen spoke out aloud in Rohirric with a raised voice:

"Had I not known about this whole situation from the letters my oldest grandson sends every month, I would have thought those two young ones were secret _**new family members**_ that he wanted to surprise everyone with after a _secret marriage_ some years ago."

"Grandmother! Not you too!" Théodred protested loudly at hearing what she said. Elia blushed at the indirect meaning of what the queen mother meant, and the King looked like this was hardly the first time his mother made a such comment. Thankfully Boromir did not know all the words Morwen had spoken, or he would be teased with no mercy about that misunderstanding.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author's note: Given that Gregor Clegane is mentioned to be 2,4 meters tall and weighing over 190 kilos according to the ASOIAF wiki, and the Númenóreans seems to have a average height of 7 feet / 213 cm alongside that the soldiers of Gondor have steel armour, I think it would not be all illogical if Théodred might fear that he is from Gondor or having some form of parentage from Gondor at least

According to the LOTR wikis, hen the Dunlendings invaded Rohan in T.A. 2758, Helm's oldest son Haleth tried to defend Edoras and were killed at the doors to Meduseld while his younger brother Háma took refuge in Helm's Deep with their father. During the Long Winter Helm was besieged, the Rohirrim's food ran low, and the people began to starve. After Yule, Háma led a group out of the fortress on a sortie to find food, but they got lost in a snowstorm and never returned

And no, Boromir is not meant to be in love with Théodred (which I have seen as a idea in fandom, nothing against it though), he is intended to be asexual in this story and that is the reason to why he never marries

Tolkien never mentions the nobles in Gondor having a house sigil like those in Westeros, but I think they would have something to mark which family they belongs to. The Ruling Stewards of Gondor is said to have a banner of simple white without a change

Tolkien never mentioned any form of punishment for soldiers in the army, apart from that deserting their post seems to be punishable by death. No mention if the punishment was made heavier during the War of the Ring or if it always have been that way

Abuela means grandmother in Spanish, which I headcanon that the Common Tongue of Dorne sounds like due to the influence of the Rhoynar, to contrast with Old English that inspired Rohirric


	32. Chapter 32

_**Building alliances **_

Based on what she had been told about Gondor by Théodred and with her own realizing that she was in another world, Elia did not think there could be any blood ties between Gondor and the North, even if it sounded like House Stark and the descendants of the Númenóreans would look somewhat alike based on hair colour and eye colour.

Once Boromir had greeted the royal family of Rohan and gotten the traditional offers of bread and salt as a sign of hospitality, it was her turn to be introduced.

"Elia, this is Boromir, the heir to the Steward of Gondor."

"My lord."

Proving herself a lady with the training of a noble, Elia made a curtsy in polite respect for the tall man. At a distance, lord Boromir could be mistaken for a member of House Stark, noticeably Eddard Stark if her memories of the second son of the late Rickard Stark was correct, but at a close up, there was some differences that openly denied any possibility of House Stark being a unknown House of Númenórean origins:

Dark-haired and grey-eyed, Boromir was the same age as Théodred and carried himself in the manner as a true soldier. If anything, his body language spoke of that he were not a heir sheltered from the reality of the duties he would inherit from his father when that time came, and that he would not be a coward in battle either.

In short, the kind of man Rhaegar should have been, if his future subjects had to decide what sort of traits their eventuak King should have.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Despite that Elia was somewhat on her guard, she seemed comfortable enough around Boromir, which was enough for Théodred. While Rhaenys and Aegon took a forenoon nap on a spread-out blanket beside them, the three adults used the chance for a deeper sort of talk.

"The man who attacked you in Rohan, was likely sent by someone who wants you killed?"

Elia nodded. Even if this was a different world where Tywin Lannister could not harm her or her children, she still did not want to take any risks. It was better to warn about that the Lord of Casterly Rock would not hesitate to use his power and wealth to try and ensure that his own daughter Cersei would never feel threatened in her position as the queen to Robert Baratheon.

"Yes. I know that this man's sole daughter, was once offered as a bride for my own husband before we married. She was rejected for being too young, but I know that her father once exterminated two noble houses under his command for rebelling against his own family, down to the very last child."

As she told of how the Reyne-Tarbeck revolt had been crushed by the young Tywin Lannister as a warning to other vassal houses that his father would not live forever and that Tywin himself would show no mercy to his enemies, and as much as she could tell of the Sack of King's Landing by the Lannister forces, making it seem like she and her children had been on the run for a much longer time than Théodred somehow crossing between the two worlds and back as he saved their lives because Elia truly did not want to mention that she actually came from a different world all together.

"So this man, Tywin Lannister, could be a possible enemy?"

For some odd reason, especially as he saw the drawing Elia made of Tywin from her memories, Boromir felt as if this Lord Lannister would not hesitate for a moment to make an alliance with Sauron in the hope of gaining power, no matter what horrible deeds that he would order to make that a reality. A man what was obsessed with control and ruthless to his enemies, most likely destroying anyone who stood in his way, sounded indeed like a ideal puppet for Sauron to expand his terror across the world.

"Yes. His son and heir, Jaime Lannister, served as a bodyguard for my now late father-in-law and that...was not something he should have done, really. He lost his faith in his spoken vows that I can find my words for."

Elia had been spared from the sight of Aerys burning people alive, but she did recall the haunted look in Jaime's green eyes as he made a vague mention of how Rickard Stark and his heir Brandon had died. And knowing herself how poor Rhaella had not been saved by the Kingsguard from her own husband, Jamie found out the hard way being a member of the Kingsguard was a painfully different reality than told in stories and legends.

Well, if she could make it harder for Tywin to impress people here in Arda and make them mistrust him if he ever met one of the two future rulers in front of her right now, that was enough of a minor victory for Elia. Her late mother Aria had lamented about how Joanna Lannister's death in childbed with her youngest son Tyrion would prevent Cersei from having a guideline to how important it was with female friends and allies even if you did not always like them or agree with them either, and the very real possibility that Cersei would view her father as a ideal in how to be a powerful person.

As his mother gave away as much information of Tywin Lannister as she found safe to share, Aegon tossed around on the blanket, kicking with both feet and his eyebrows forming a frown as if he was dreaming something he did not understand. In a sense, that was true, for his awoken foresight were acting up again:

_A man in a strange set of armour and hand set on the sword as if he was a warrior being ready for a attack, with a set of guards close behind him. Yet the surrounding were not Gondor or Rohan, or the deserts of Dorne, it was a vastly different culture further down in the south of Middle-earth. In front of him, a young girl, no older than having entered maidenhood not long ago, dressed in a strange silk dress and also wearing a veil in the same black colour, as if protecting herself from the harsh sun, spoke up: _

"_My mother were foolish enough to think that her own desires and wishes were more important than the duty that came with the rank she had been born with. She never realized that outside her family name, her value laid in being a untouchable flower. Once she was plucked by my father, she lost all chances of entering a respectable marriage. Furthermore, by becoming pregnant with me, she would forever become tied to the man who once was a promising prince but proved himself a dishonorable husband to his legal wife and unworthy father to the older half-siblings I have by the Sun Princess."_

_She raised her head slightly, revealing dark indigo eyes that betrayed her to not be a normal albino._

"Aegon, what exactly are you dreaming about?" Théodred asked gently at seeing how the toddler were not exactly laying still in sleep. Rhaenys had now woken up and at seeing her being shy because he was a stranger, Boromir pulled out some not so child-friendly stuff from his travel bag before offering it to her as a peace offering. With curiosity all over her face, Elia's daughter started to dig into the travel bag for whatever unknown treasures that could be there.

"She is about three years younger than my youngest cousin, princess Lothíriel of Dol Amroth, so I have not yet stopped the habit of removing something dangerous before she would look."

With that, the conversation took a much more pleasant turn as they started to talk about younger relatives and what sort of ideas those younglings could get caught into.

"I think that princess Lothíriel, Éowyn and Rhaenys would be a fearsome trio of young ladies to keep a eye on, if they ever meets. Not fearsome as in being little terrors, but for the friendship that might form between them…"

"_**I won! I won, I won!**_" Éowyn cheered somewhere in the background, enjoying a victory over her brother in a mock battle on top of their horses. Éomer had lost mainly for losing his balance slightly, but as his grandmother and uncle told before the mock battle, there was no dishonor in losing against his own sister from time to time. As long as it did not turn into a dangerous version of sibling rivalry that could poison their sibling relationship as adults, it was perfectly fine.

"You have been training with modrige Laywyn again, right? I do not think I have seen that trick before in our mock battles, at least."

Of course Laywyn must have trained her sister-daughter when they had some time together, Morwen knew her oldest daughter and the way she would use her weapons despite thankfully never seen Laywyn in a deadly battle. Still, the Queen Mother of Rohan was pleased with how that would a personal, rather intimate legacy for Laywyn even long after that she had joined the rest of their family in the afterlife. If Éowyn married and had daughters of her own, then she would likely teach them the same battle movements as Laywyn had used during her life. A feminine legacy from one generation of daughters of Rohan to the next one.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note: In several RL cultures across the world, bread and salt are used in a welcoming ceremony, as well closely linked to the sacred tradition of hospitality, which Elia would be familiar with

Once we have gotten to the chapter with Jamie's wedding and Cersei giving birth to Robert's children, I am thinking of doing some minor timeships once in a while between the chapters as I do not want to drag the story out to become one of those fanfics that never seems to end. I seriously already have way too much fun with the mental image of how the first meeting between the Martell brothers and their new brother-in-law is planned to happen! I can promise already now that the bisexuality of Oberyn is going to be a big part of the entertainment and hilariously of that "meet the family" scene

Yes, It was Visenya Waters that Aegon saw, as a young adolescent around the end of the coming War of the Ring when she will be about 14 years, despite that he does not know her actual identity. Despite not joining the main cast and that she will show up very rarely in-story, I headcanon that Visenya will have a opposite version of his psychic ability and being able to see the past of various persons in her dreams, such as the foolishness of her parents that caused the Rebellion and other historical events, so Visenya is not going to look at Rhaegar as some hero either because he thought the prophecy about the Prince that was promised, the whole "the dragon must have three heads" idiotic and her conception to be more important than staying true to his marriage vows!

Finally a question for you readers: Since I am somewhat stuck on how and when Elia will reveal to Théodred about that she actually is from a different world instead of being a person from Arda, would you like to give suggestions about it? I would love some help in choosing a time and place for that reveal


	33. Chapter 33

**Royal heirs and wedding havoc **

King's Landing, the royal apartments in Maegor's Holdfast:

Eighteen-year-old Cersei Lannister, queen consort of the new Baratheon dynasty as well the first royal wife to have no connections at all to the Targaryens by blood or marriage, was in labour. Everyone had expected the birth to not happen yet for another four weeks, yet yesterday after getting up after the hot bath with the help of the maids, she felt strange cramps and increased back pain that had only grown stronger during the night.

"_Curse you, Robert! Curse you for banishing Jaime from the capital until that I have given birth and forcing me to carry your parasite inside me instead of letting it be his baby!_" she thought with a inner rage against her royal husband as a new wave of pain from the contractions shot through her body. The midwives told her to push, but all the young queen wanted was for it all to _**finally end.**_ A whole day and night had passed since her labour started, and now Cersei were at the limit of her patience.

"I can see the head! Push, your majesty, push!"

A strange pressure feeling as if it left her body, and then the cry of a newborn.

"A princess, your majesty!"

_**A girl?! **_For a moment, Cersei felt as if the world had stopped, not hearing or seeing anything in the birthing chamber because of the cold horror she felt in her heart at seeing the black-haired newborn infant girl, who wailed loudly in the hands of the midwife. All that pain during the childbirth, all the discomfort during the unwanted pregnancy..._**for a daughter?! **_A useless daughter, who would only be married off like herself, when it was a son she needed to gain power! A worthless girl, sired by a equivalent worthless husband, that would never be accepted as a reigning Queen of Westeros thanks to the Dance of Dragons!

"If only Jaime had put his seed in me, I would have had a son at this first childbirth, I know that…!?"

Then her thoughts was interrupted by the fact that she felt contractions again. Since this were the first time Cersei gave birth, she had no idea about what would happen after the delivery.

"Back up on the birthing chair, your majesty, there is another one!" another midwife spoke up, taking a gentle hold of Cersei to keep her from collapsing on her trembling legs.

At midday in the royal sept inside the Red Keep, the two first royal heirs of the Baratheon dynasty was named:

Princess Argella Baratheon, named after the Princess of Storm's End that had became the progenitress of House Baratheon though her marriage to Orys Baratheon, and Crown prince Lyonel Baratheon, named after the Lord of Storm's End also known as the Laughing Storm.

But for those who believed in superstition and omens, something about the royal twins seemed to almost bear a warning in itself for those who did not find the birth a pure coincidence: the princess born first, joined by her brother not long after. Had not Princess Elia Martell also had her two children in that birth order too, her daughter Rhaenys being born fifteen months before her brother Aegon, as well being the birth order the queen consort and her disgraced twin brother, the heir to Casterly Rock?

And the new mother truly did not feel any motherly love for her twin children, which she managed to hide by a mask of genuine exhaustion when the King came to see his heirs and she did not answer his question if she would like to name the children. The midwives claimed that some first-time mothers needed a little time to have their maternal instincts awaken, but Cersei truly loathed the newborn royal twins, all because they were not sired by the one she wished to be the father. No, the Baratheon traits in them both would be a eternal reminder that unless they both died as infants and she managed to avoid that Robert made her pregnant again, there would be no chance for her desired children by Jaime to take the Iron Throne and make House Lannister the royal house of Westeros with no one but Jaime and herself knowing the truth.

"I will have my true Lannister son succeed Robert on the throne, not one of you little pests," Cersei hissed in a low voice as she bent over the cradle where the twins had been placed together for sleep. The girl, Argella, suddenly opened her eyes without warning and for a moment, mother and daughter stared into the eyes of each other despite that Argella should be far too young to even be able to do that. The Lyonel joined in, moving around with his hands and manage to get a tight hold around one of Cersei's loose hair curls with his little fist. Holding back a curse over the pain from having that hair curl pulled, the queen ordered the nursemaids and wet nurses to care for the royal infants as she left the nursery.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Two weeks after the royal birth, despite little Argella and Lyonel being born a month earlier than planned yet surviving the first critical days outside the womb and showing all the signs of being healthy, had Tywin ordered his bannermen to arrive to Casterly Rock to be present at the tourney held in honor for the royal children who was his first grandchildren, and the wedding for Jaime.

Despite the presence of Tyrion trying to cheer him up, Jaime was not in the joyful mood of a bridegroom that would find himself with a wife in only a few hours. His chosen bride was Rayelle Lanny, one year his junior, and previously they had only met briefly in passing at various social events in Lannisport or Casterly Rock. That, of course, made them basically strangers for each others, with Rayelle nervously looking at Tywin in a side glance as she greeted Jaime before leaving to the guest chamber that she had been having for the past few days. While undoubtedly having Lannister blood in her veins, for she had the same blonde hair as many others with the same lineage, but she did not share Cersei's brilliant green eyes or fair face. Not plain, but not stunning beautiful either, rather Rayelle could be called pretty at best with the doe-like brown eyes and freckles she had inherited from her maternal family.

"Come on, brother. You saw her behavior as father looked at her at your meeting to have that first official dinner together in front of all the guests. She could hardly eat any of the food served because she is terrified of him, poor girl."

"A future Lady of Casterly Rock should not be craven for her own goodfather," Jaime said in a dull voice, that matched his mood. That comment earned him a painful stomp on the foot by Tyrion.

"Did your otherwise smart mind vanish little nearly a year ago with Elia Martell and her children? Our father did not only kill every single member of two families among our bannermen when they rebelled again grandfather, he ordered the Sack of the capital and was very close to succeed in whatever he intended for the Martell princess, had she not managed to escape into thin air with her royal children! As far as Rayelle knows, she could spend half of her life trembling in terror for father, since she knows that she is no Joanna Lannister or will be equivalent to our late mother in the eyes of our father! And you are not very likely to stand up against father either, for that is how powerful he is even among us!"

Neither one of the three children of Tywin Lannister would admit it, but they were indeed terrified of their father deep down. He could control their lives whatever they wanted it or not. and any of their respective spouses were unlikely to help. Cersei and Robert were away in King's Landing with the excuse of being the new King and queen of Westeros, but Jaime and Rayelle would be stuck at Casterly Rock under Tywin's watchful eyes because they were the next Lord and lady Lannister.

"Once poor Rayelle have given you a son, I will be sent to the Wall no matter our shared protests, no doubt. The shame of Tywin Lannister freezing his life away in the cold north, out of sight and out of mind, never a possible claimant to Casterly Rock, eventually forgotten by everyone in the south."

"To the Wall?!" Jaime exclaimed in a raised voice, raising from the chair as he said so. Good, Tyrion thought, that made his brother stop looking sullen for a little bit at least.

"Well, do you really think that father would let me become the next Lord of Casterly Rock after him if something fatal happens to you before it is his own time to join our dear mother in the afterlife, especially if you and Rayelle have not gotten a son before that? No, he would rather choose one of Cersei's younger sons as his heir, a prince low in the succession to the Iron Throne, rather than having his hated dwarf son as his successor."

Personally Tyrion, who had gotten to speak a little with Rayelle over the past days, thought that she could be a good match for his brother if only Jaime would spend enough long time with her to see her good character traits instead of ignoring her. She was very different from Cersei, so hopefully she could help Jaime grow past the boy he once was, and in some ways still was, into a mature young man that could become a fine Lord Lannister of his own one day. But for that to happen, Jaime needed to become closer to Rayelle despite them being strangers for now and not comparing her to his twin sister all the time without saying it openly. Tyrion knew that his older twin siblings had been very close before Jaime, at the age of eleven, had been sent off to Crakehall to become a squire there as a very important step towards his own knighthood.

"But...you are closer related to him than a grandchild…"

Jaime could not find the words he wanted to say. Surely his father could solve that by having Tyrion marry a niece if he only had daughters, right? A marriage between a uncle and niece were not unknown, after all, despite that the Faith said about it.

"Jaime, Tyrion! It is almost time to go to the sept. Better to not make your father displeased before anything else happens," Jaime's good friend Addam Marbrand called from the doorway. The two Lannister brothers gave each other a look, silently promising to continue this discussion at a later date.

The wedding ceremony was nearly over, with Jaime having placed the cloak of House Lannister on Rayelle shoulders as she knelt, and then they both saying the marriage vows, when the guests closest to the door heard the distant sound of bells.

"The people of Lannisport have already started to celebrate the wedding?"

"No...wait, that bell sound is…"

Then two guards forced the doors open.

"_**Lord Tywin! Lannisport is under attack! Its bells used to warn for enemy attacks are ringing as a distress signal to the Rock!**_"

Had the Ironborn shown up, using the wedding and planned tourney for the royal heirs as a attempt to attack Lannisport when so many people would be gathered there?

"The Ironborn?" Tywin asked in a cold voice, though anyone who knew him, realized that he did not intend to spare the Ironborn for this.

"No, my Lord, it is a unknown army that showed up in a huge number from the closest mine!"

Jaime, however, chose to take actions in his own hands.

"Make yourselves ready for battle! We need to help Lannisport!"

As he dashed out to change into his own armour, Jaime accidently pushed his newly-made wife by his elbow and Tyrion, standing the closest, was the one who had to prevent poor Rayelle from falling over. Granted, it looked somewhat silly given their difference in height, but she was only grateful for not landing on the cold stone floor in front of all the wedding guests.

"Jaime, you fool! Let father and the other experienced warriors deal with this, you can not make Rayelle a widow before nightfall!"

But Jaime was already too far away to hear the scolding, joined by other knights, lords and their own respective heirs who hurried back to their guest chambers to change into armour while their wives and daughters remained at Casterly Rock.

How could the westermen know, that a indeed random magical connection between the mines of the Westerlands and the Dwarven Kingdom of Moria, once called Khazad-dûm, that had been created? That a good number of the orcs living in Moria had passed into the mine tunnels of the Westerlands without knowing about it? That the very distant Martell blood in the veins of Argella and Lyonel Baratheon though their late great-grandmother Rhaelle Baratheon nee Targaryen, had acted up as a sign of that in Arda, Sauron was growing in power and that something was about to change with House Martell itself?

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note: A birthing chair, also known as a birth chair, is a device that is shaped to assist a woman in the physiological upright posture during childbirth. It is intended to provide balance and support. The birthing chair has been used for millennia. The use of the birthing chair or similar devices has been seen around the globe, not isolated to a particular region. A woman giving birth in the upright position has been seen in Asian, African, Pacific Islander, and Native American art.

Twins are often born earlier than the full 40 weeks of pregnancy, so Cersei and everyone else were very surprised by that she ended up having twins at the first birth just like her mother Joanna did

No members of House Lanny have been named in canon, so I had to look around for a name that could suit Martin's habit of spelling names a bit different and I also seriously think that thanks to princess Rhaelle Baratheon nee Targaryen and queen Rhaella Targaryen, names ending on -elle or -ella might have been popular in the last three-four decades before the Rebellion

About Jaime desiring to lead the gathered defenders to Lannisport instead of letting Tywin do that job; remember he is still only 18 right now in-story, still have the fresh disgrace of being kicked out of the Kingsguard for killing Aerys and even as a adult in book canon, he worries about the consequences of his actions only after committing the act. So naturally he would want to prove himself able to grow past his bad reputation as the Kingslayer and become a hero in the Westerlands for saving Lannisport from the unknown threat that is the orcs from Moria


	34. Chapter 34

_**The Young Lion **_

Author note: I am not the best at writing battles, so please forgive me about cutting the details short by having Jaime get stuck by some misfortune that actually happens in canon! / Rogercat

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Just before the wedding ceremony in Casterly Rock:

Sandor, Tyshara and Tysha had been up in one of the bell towers of Lannisport, with a Myrish eye that Sandor had brought from a merchant at one of the market stands despite it costing a few gold dragons. For Tysha, who had never been in a such high place above the ground, it was a whole new experience.

"Wow, I can see so far from here!"

The two Clegane siblings had chosen to not be present at the wedding, as landed knights their family was among the lowest nobility but Sandor were not interested in the wedding of Jaime Lannister at all and Tyshara would have enough fun watching pretty clothes worn by the noble ladies at the tourney. Besides, Tysha had admitted to fearing that she was not educated enough to be able to pass off herself as the healthy Clegane "sister" as per the plan to make her and Tyshara come off as twin sisters, so they had agreed to simply stay in Lannisport.

"Hm? Master Sandor, can you take a better look with the Myrish eye towards the ancient mines over there? I am not tall enough to see well on that distance."

"It is meant to be _Brother_ Sandor in public," Tyshara reminded gently with a smirk at her brother, who had just spotted something odd. Something was moving in the distance towards the city. A huge group, that was Tysha sure of and she wondered what he had seen. But something had to be bad, given how quickly Sandor suddenly paled in horror.

"Ring the alarm bell! Lannisport is about to be _**attacked!**_"

"What?! But the Ironborn always attacks from the sea…" Tyshara started, while Tysha managed to grab hold of the rope leading to the alarm bell. She was still skinny from her life before coming to the Clegane Keep, but she weighed more than enough to act as a weight to make the bell sound. Not long after that, blowing horns were heard from the city guards as they too spotted the threat.

"Stay in the motherhouse with all doors and windows blocked from the inside, and stay hidden so you are not seen!"

Not that Tyshara would be able to leave the bell tower without help anyway because of the wheelchair, as proved when Sandor simply tossed her over a shoulder before he rushed down the stone stairs, Tysha straight behind with her shirts slightly lifted in one hand in order to not stumble.

Inside the nearest motherhouse, not the great one here in Lannisport but a smaller one since there was a limit to how many residents who could be registered as living in a motherhouse, the septas and silent sisters were trying to keep some form of order since a lot of women and girls in various ages tried to seek the protection there.

"Get my sisters further in, woman!"

Tyshara only made one small protest as she almost was tossed into the arms of a elderly septa, Tysha slipping past Sandor while trying to stay close. Male voices calling from the outside, ordering every able man and youth old enough to fight to pick up weapons. In a situation like this, anything could turn into a weapon for defense or attack. And with the planned tourney, there would be many lances which could be used as improvised spears.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Just as Sandor joined the other defenders and City Watch of Lannisport, the unknown army had now arrived close enough to the city walls for the men to see that no, this was not the Dornishmen seeking revenge for the missing princess Elia or even the Ironborn trying to surprise the Westerlands by a new manner of distracting the defenders before arriving from the sea:

Below the strange armour, the attackers looked like monster from bedtime stories, smaller in stature than Men on average, strong but crooked in frame and bow-legged yet still able to run very quickly. With their skin colour in green, brown, grey and black, outsticking pointed ears, flat noses, yellow eyes and sharpened teeth which also meant fangs, they seemed inhuman.

"What sort of devilship is th…?!"

The orcs from Moria made a first attack by their bows and arrows, then showing just how easy it was for them to climb up the city walls despite having no ladders. The defenders was taken by surprise exactly by how those monsters could climb like that with no help of ropes or something else to climb with, and the first wave of attackers thus had it easy to kill the soldiers. True, many of the warriors had taken part of the Sack of King's Landing last year, but now they got to taste how it had felt for the terrified people of the capital that day when Tywin had betrayed the Targaryens, to be the ones attacked instead. For those who had enjoyed to take part of the pillage, this was a brutal wake-up by reality about that it could very well happen to them as well.

"Fight! Fight for your lives! Fight for Lannisport!"

It did not take long, before the streets became a battlefield, in a limited sense. All residents of Lannisport who had their homes or working places in the city, had tried to close their doors and windows to block out the attackers, but that did not help when fires were spread thanks to all the banners that had been hung out outside to celebrate the wedding of Jaime Lannisters, and it did not help that many of the houses for the poorer residents were made of wood with thatched roofs. Smoke rose from where those houses were set on fire from tossed torches or the orcs taking use of some outdoor fireplace for cooking, joining the screams of terror and running feet as people tried to find a place where the orcs had not yet attacked.

"Riders and knights from Casterly Rock is coming! Hold on until they arrives!"

Members of the defenders and City Watch was not the only people laying dead on the streets, normal civilians joining them as the orcs found new victims for their weapons and brutality. And with the common people having no way of defending themselves, it could only end in one way.

"Get the women and children down to the harbor! Get them on the ships and boats!"

Then someone spotted the person to lead the chance of knights to the attacked city.

"The young Lion! Jaime Lannister is coming!"

Indeed it was the oldest son and heir to Tywin Lannister that came, leading the household knights from Casterly Rock together with the other nobles of the Westerlands coming not far behind him with their own men.

Jaime felt some of the memories from last year surface when he saw the burning houses in Lannisport, but pushed them down. He needed to be able to focus, not making any mistakes.

"Addam! Take the left half of the city while I takes the right!" he called to his childhood friend, who nodded. Once they were close enough, the city gate to Lannisport was opened by some civilians so the knight could ride inside the city. By riding on horses, the knights hoped to use the element of surprise on the attackers, and also being in a better position to strike from above.

Yet despite the arrivals of the knights and backup soldiers from Casterly Rock, the orcs still had one last trumpf card to play:

A cave troll, used as a kind of attack dog, if that could be called the right term, which they had brought along in the crossing over between Moria and the mines of the Westerlands. But since the Lannister soldiers had never seen a troll before, much less having any idea how to defeat it, chaos broke out again as the troll used a club to smash soldiers and civilians alike into house walls or other surfaces.

"Jaime!"

The Lannister heir had the luck of hiding behind some filled burlap sacks as cover before he was struck by the club, but he realised that the troll had to be killed before anything else.

"Release arrows on that monster! Get oil and try pouring it on the monster from above before fire!"

Sandor, who had grown a terror of fire ever since his nowadays dead brother had burned his face in childhood, chose to try and find some oil rather than a torch in order to avoid the fire.

"Jaime, watch out!"

But the warning came one moment too late. In the corner of his eye, Jaime saw one orc running towards him with a crooked sword raised for attack, and as he raised his own sword…

Blood that blocked his view of the setting sun for a moment, and then a overwhelming amount of pain as Jaime screamed.

"Lannister!"

The last thing before he was knocked out by a blow from behind, was Sandor Clegane coming forwards with his sword in both hands, looking like a snarling dog about to jump on a prey. Then the world became black.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Voices speaking. His eyes were blurry at first, before a part of Jaime managed to recognize the ceiling of his own bed chamber. How had he gotten there when his last memory was Sandor Clegane?

"...might be able to remain a knight if he trains his other hand…"

"Make sure that he survives. I will not have _**Joanna's murderer**_ become my heir."

Jaime awoke fully at the sound of his father speaking with the maester of Casterly Rock. He knew that his father sometimes spoke of Tyrion like this, never letting his brother forget that it was his birth that had killed their mother Joanna in childbirth.

"F...fa…"

As he raised his right hand out of habit to reach out, something seemed different from normal. It was covered in bandages, and…

For a moment, time seemed to stop as Jaime realized what was wrong:

His sword hand was _gone._

"Jaime!"

Tyrion showed up at the bed with Rayelle hesitantly remaining at the door because she did not know whatever she would be allowed to enter there or not by her goodfather, but his older brother did not seem to hear him, only staring in shock at the bandaged stump that was all remaining after the amputation.

"Your hand was cut off in the battle before you were knocked out, Jaime. You would have bled out to death because of the sudden blood loss, had not Sandor Clegane arrived and carried you to one of the smaller motherhouses where his sister managed to stop the bleeding with her shawl."

Jaime only heard it as though a mist, distant and unclear. It was if he suddenly felt how his whole life until now had been in vain to become a knight, all that training and talent he had from a early age, only to be kicked out of the Kingsguard and now crippled.

"Rayelle," Tywin spoke, scaring her for a moment, "I want you to be the one to nurse Jaime back to health and no one else is to be handed that task no matter how tired you are. Once he is healed enough, I want the marriage to be _**consummated **_and I want to see a new heir to Casterly Rock be born before my royal grandchildren turns two years old."

Rayelle were too scared of Tywin to even make a sound in protest, and from the way her hands were trembling as she twisted the water from a cotton rag in the water bowl next to the bed before placing it on Jaime's feverish forehead, it was pretty telling that she would not dare to disobey him.

"T-Tyrion, could you please send a servant to bring some of the fish soup that was intended as part of the wedding feast yesterday? Jaime n-needs nutrition if he is going to heal."

That small mention of how much time that had passed, told Jaime that this must be the next day. Had he been out for so many hours, or had he woken up between with no memory of it?

"Please be kind to your wife, brother, she is only meaning well," Tyrion said over his shoulder before leaving the bedchamber before his father and the maester, leaving the newlyweds alone in a way that would have been different, had not the attack on Lannisport happened.

As Tywin walked straight to his private office, he found his brother Kevan already there, ready to give a summary of the events.

"Well?" Tywin demanded in a low tone, crossing his hands in front of his mouth with the elbows resting on the writing desk so only his eyes were visible.

"About half thousand dead among the smallfolk and half that number among members of the City Watch of Lannisport, in total. We have managed to kill all the attackers, to the cost of a fourth of the wooden homes and shops in Lannisport being gone in fires. None of the Lords or their heirs have died, thankfully, but the number of deaths may rise if some people do not survive their injuries. There is also incoming reports of the attackers burning fields and slaughtering all the smallfolk in a village on the way to the city."

And since the attackers showed no signs of even being humans, no one knew where they even had came from. With no survivors, there was no answer to be found.

"Tell Clenage that he will be rewarded for saving my son, once things have calmed down again. As for that sister of his, that stopped the bleeding...she will be rewarded with a _**manor house in Lannisport and Tyrion as a spouse**_ once both have come of age. If my shame of a second son can make himself useful in a job with administration, then he have no need to live in Casterly Rock anymore and I will make sure that any child born between them, will come after the ones Jaime sires on Rayelle. But Tyrion will never inherit Casterly Rock, I will ensure that until my last breath."

The daughter of a landed knight were perfect for the dwarf he had to call his second son, Tywin thought, and a perfect way to ensure that Tyrion did not try marrying a noble born lady from somewhere else in Westeros and become a rival to Jaime about their inheritage. And while Jaime had lost his sword hand, he had not lost or damaged the limb needed to sire children with. The succession to Casterly Rock would be secured as soon as Rayelle had given Jaime a healthy son, hopefully in less than a year. Tywin had promised Joanna on their own wedding night that he would never remarry if she died before him, because if she left behind a son to be his heir and a daughter to offer in marriage to Rhaegar Targaryen, there would be no need for Tywin himself to enter a second marriage. No other woman would be able to replace Joanna as Lady of Casterly Rock when his own sister Genna remained at her childhood home despite being married to the second son of Walder Frey, that everyone would see with their own eyes.

House Lannister had a queen consort on the Iron Throne, with two royal heirs already and hopefully more soon joining the nursery in the Red Keep. Tywin Lannister would see his grandson by Cersei as King of the Seven Kingdoms, and a grandson by Jaime as the future Lord of Casterly Rock. Now, if only Elia Martell and her two children by Rhaegar could be found and killed, his family would become the second most powerful house in Westeros, as the in-laws to King Robert I Baratheon.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note: According to ASOIAF wiki, one of Jaime's alias are indeed the Young Lion because of his family sign and being Tywin's heir, so this chapter title was a joke on it

A Myrish eye or Myrish lens tube is a telescope consisting of a bronze tube with ground glass lenses at either end. They include larger devices which can be attached to tripods for observatories and smaller monoculars useful for sailors.

Recalling the movie scene in Moria as the Fellowship is surrounded by the orcs, and then how they escapes at the sound of the arriving balrog by climbing up the pillars and walls? That is how the orcs enters Lannisport.

Some of you readers might wonder why I am focusing the Westeros chapters on the Lannisters outside House Martell, the reason is actually pretty simple, if it can be called so: Tywin feels threatened by that Elia and her children is still alive, meaning that Cersei is at risk to be viewed as "merely" a wife to a usurper on the Iron Throne, and that his royal grandchildren might face Aegon and Rhaenys coming back to reclaim the crown, unless both of Elia's children is confirmed dead. I also wanted to make it clear that with Jon Snow NOT being the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna in this AU, House Stark have no reason at all to become involved in the mess further south. Also Ned would want his wife and growing brood of children safe at home in Winterfell, because he lost his father and two siblings in the Rebellion.


	35. Chapter 35

_**Telling the truth, part 1 **_

They would stay in Aldburg until the second day after the spring festival called _Truth hunting_ in Rohirric, a festival meant for the Valar and the celebration of spring. From what she had been told, it was a pretty harmless event, with flowers given to women and girls by their male relatives along with couples riding around bonfires.

_I hope that you might be able to find something back home in Dorne without needing to send anyone to the Citadel, father. It would be suspicious if a Dornish student were found sneaking around and looking for magic or "very distant" countries._

This was just one of many situations where Elia wished that her family could be present, or at least having a better way to give advice than just by letters she could never know if the letters came or not. Yet it was, in a way, better than no contract at all. At least this had allowed her family to know that she, Rhaenys and Aegon were still alive, and currently under good protection.

"At least I have written down the truth in a letter to father, so someone in my family knows about it…"

Elia felt that Ihsan was the safest choice in this secret, her father would never tell anything unless she requested it of him. Besides, with his interest in old lore, he could perhaps research some way of finding out how and why she had crossover to a different world. Doran would be busy ruling Dorne and Oberyn was really the type to dash off across Essos in search for a way to bring her home, risking to cause trouble along the way without even meaning it.

"Breeech!"

Suddenly there was a odd sound from around the corner of the longhouse belonging to the royal family, and then Théodred scolding her daughter:

"Rhaenys?! That drink is not for young ladies in your age because its taste is not nice for young children, naughty girl! Great, we need to change your dress before your modur sees those strains on your front from you nearly vomiting it out."

"But it looked like apple cider!"

While Elia would have liked to find out what Rhaenys had been drinking that was not for children, it was only good that Rhaenys got used to being scolded by a man for something she did wrong, she would need that training because by the time they returned to Dorne, Doran and Oberyn would undoubtedly be part of everyday life for her children.

"Of course, I believe that it will still be difficult for them to leave Rohan, but I prefer them to think of Théodred as their father than that inbred bastard…!"

Rather the Prince of Rohan, who had no blood ties at all to them, than Rhaegar whose selfish desire for a third child had nearly killed the wife and two children he had abandoned.

A little bit further away, Boromir found himself stared at by Aegon. Well, to be fair, he had fallen asleep on the hill and only woken up by the toddler suddenly seating himself across his stomach. It was hard to keep sleeping when a toddler on about 12 kilos were determined to climb up on yourself so it became a little harder to breathe with that extra weight.

"You are a quiet one, do you know that, kid? A little like my brother, back when we was young brats just like yourself and your sister."

Aegon did not say anything at first, but his dark blue eyes met the grey eyes of Boromir, as if he wanted to confirm something which he could not yet explain due to his young age.

"Arrows bad!" the Targaryen prince suddenly spoke out aloud, smacking his little palm on the adult man's chest.

"Oh no," Boromir said in good humour, "not another little brother who have odd dreams."

He meant it in a friendly manner to the small boy, but mentally Boromir was a bit alarmed. He knew that Faramir had dreams about the Downfall of Númenor, a result of their House being of high Númenórean blood, for though the House of Húrin were not in the direct line of descent from Elendil, they were descendants from a family among the ancient Faithful and thus had a bloodline going all the way to Númenor.

"Could it be that...the family of lady Elia or her late husband is the unknown descendants of a bastard line somewhere in the southern lands? When the Númenóreans began to establish dominions on the coasts of Middle-earth in year 1800 of the Second Age, it was not unheard of that the nobles and common sailors had short love affairs with the local people…."

With Númenor long gone below the sea, it would be impossible for such descendants to prove any claim of lineage, given how long time that had passed. Also, if the ancestor were a illegal child born to a poor woman, there would not be any possibility of education either. Besides, illegal children was in general unable to be the heirs to their noble parent, often because there would be a legal wife with her own children present in the life of the noble parent. It did not matter if the illegal child was the eldest child and born before the marriage, only the legal children counted as successors.

"Lord Boromir? Oh, that is where Aegon was," a maid spoke after showing up, having been in search for the young boy in order to bring him back inside for a afternoon nap. Since Aegon waved at the maid, Boromir handled him over to her.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

On the day of the festival, there was a joyful mood nearly everywhere. And why not? It had rained yesterday, which left a fresh scent of spring in the air now when the sun was shining with only a few harmless clouds on the sky.

"Aegon, are you trying to mimic what the adults do?"

Elia had to smile at the sight of her son holding up a flower with the roots still in some earth, most likely because he just had seen the King of Rohan give his widowed mother some lovely flowers that Théoden knew to be some of her favorites here in Rohan.

"Here is for you, mama!"

Now Rhaenys joined in to give Elia flowers, finding it fun to do. Elia could not refuse her daughter, when all the young girl wanted to cheer her up. Besides, Éomer had just braided in some flowers in his sister's hair so naturally it happened around others in the same age.

"Thank you, dear."

A big part of the celebration was horse races and mounted archery for both genders, showing Elia in a more controlled manner how the Rohirrim were known as the Horse Lords across Middle-earth. Perhaps the Dothraki of Essos would have been a match, but the Rohirrim showed themselves able of discipline when banded together despite that they might be strangers to each others at first due to coming from different parts of Rohan and had better weapons out of steel and iron.

"Since it is the men who are the warriors sent out in war, I can understand that they are expected to know how to use a bow and arrow, for example. But the shieldmaidens are not bad either..."

Not that the few female archers proved themselves inferior to their male opponents, they simply were more used to defending their homes and family while the men were away. Shieldmaidens generally gave up that role at marriage, because fighting when being heavy pregnant was viewed as a invitation to possibly kill both mother and the unborn child by carelessness and selfishly viewing glory in battle as more important than life. And fighting in early stages of pregnancy would risk miscarriage as well, ruining the meaning of motherhood as well.

Between his participation in the different competitions, Théodred could be seen with various women. Most of them were the of-age daughters of local men here in Aldburg, only requesting to be presented to him so he would know their names if they might end up dancing with him later in the evening. After all, while words of him finally being serious in searching for a possible bride had spread across Rohan, it would be horrible rude to cling to him like a leech. And refusing other young women to at least speak some greetings to the Prince, would be horrible rude. It would be a bad image for Rohan if the future Queen were so enamored with Théodred that she would be suspicious towards any other woman who came close to him.

"Even if she is a foreigner, we think that it was still kind of you to save the lady and her children, my Lord."

Of course, Elia and her children had drawn attention again, because it was impossible to miss them in the crowd, but it thankfully were honest curiosity and many of the young ladies simply wanted to hear if Elia might be able to help creating a new trade between Rohan and her homeland as thanks for the rescue.

"A good deed can indeed pay off. It is just that she is from a such faraway place that communication with her birth family is difficult."

Still, the ladies promised to be kind to Elia if they would happen to speak sometime, her being under royal protection would only result in bad things for themselves and bring shame to their own families. Besides, having friends among the locals would never hurt, for all of that Elia would likely return home in the future. Friendships could ease the feelings of loneliness.

"_Mother Rhoyne_

_River goddess and mother of men_

_Grant me the strength I need_

_As a daughter, wife and mother _

_To protect my children_

_Defend my husband from death_

_So he will return alive to my arms_

_Desert sun of Dorne!_

_Burn my enemies to death_

_scare them off with your heat_

_And protect our lands from danger_"

They heard Elia suddenly speak something in her own language, and then her best attempt to translate it into Rohirric for the Queen Mother and a few other lords near the King. True, it was not exactly a poem but rather a prayer spoken in Dorne by women whose husbands were away from home.

"A powerful prayer, I could hear that already when you spoke in your mother tongue. Perhaps it may reach the Valar tonight, and grant you the wish spoken within it," Morwen spoke as Elia explained the inner meaning of the words. For Elia, who had grown up with a Ruling Princess of Dorne as mother and having Rhaella Targaryen as mother-in-law, the Queen Mother of Rohan was a different kind of woman. For all of that a granddaughter-in-law would raise to the most powerful position a woman in Rohan could have by marrying Théodred, Morwen and her last remaining daughter Laywyn would still be needed as mentors in how the female power at the royal court should be carried out.

"Abuela!"

Despite that Rhaenys had found out that Morwen were not Rhaella after a good look up close, the Queen Mother were fond of the young girl and Aegon, who seemed rather determined to be around Boromir of all people today.

"It is good that the children are spending time with other adults too. And while he is still unmarried, it ever hurts for my distant kinsman to be around small children that is not his own cousins."

"You are distant kin to lord Boromir, my lady?"

And with that, Morwen told Elia of that she was from a lesser branch of the House of Dol Amroth, not very close kin to the current, very old Prince whose daughter had wed the Steward of Gondor. So in a sense the House of Eorl did have some distant blood of Númenor in their veins but it had not come from the most powerful family in Gondor.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Later in the evening, after that Rhaenys and Aegon had gone to bed together with many other young children, the adults kept dancing and riding around some large bonfires.

"Prince Théodred? Could you join me for a quick evening ride? Even if there is no drunken fights yet, it can still be pleasant to have some peace and quiet without worrying," Elia requested with a curtsy.

"Of course, shall I show you a good place?"

The other ladies, who had learned of how Elia had been saved from death by the Prince, realized at once that she was not out to ensnare Théodred for herself, it was simply a understandable worry of some unknown man getting rude towards her, perhaps out of some prejudice that she experienced before, because of too many cups of ale.

"With that request to not even ride out alone, it makes me wonder if her dead husband even cared to have a proper escort for her security. With a healthy son and a such charming daughter, logically she should be grated some protection as the mother of a legal heir."

"Maybe they were from different countries, like the Queen Mother and the late King Thengel? Perhaps he expected her to act different in behavior and she somehow did not live up to those standards?"

"Yeah, I heard from my own grandmother that lady Morwen had some difficulties at the start of her husband's reign despite having given him a son in the current King while they were still living in Gondor, because not everyone were comfortable with a Queen consort that was not a native woman from Rohan…"

Their guessings of what had led to Elia coming all the way to Rohan from her southern homeland, was brought to a halt by servants from their own parents finding the of-age daughters to be reunited with their respective families. After all, while it was acceptable for widows and widowers to remarry, a unwed daughter who was found to be pregnant without a betrothal would find herself in deep trouble. Love affairs of the heart was one thing, but for two unwed people to actually do something that resulted in pregnancy was asking for trouble.

They rode out to a holy site outside Aldburg. It was said that the first royal child of Rohan, a daughter of King Eorl the Young called Cyneburg, had been born here only weeks after that Eorl had led his people to their new homeland. Even if she had never been a royal heir like her younger brother Brego, the first princess of Rohan still were a symbol of the new era of her people.

"Is something wrong, Elia?"

She did not want to hide the truth any longer. He deserved to know that she, as well Rhaenys and Aegon, was not from Arda at all. That somehow, their respective homeworlds had connected just as her small family were possibly facing death because Tywin Lannister wanted his own daughter as queen of Westeros instead, only for him to show up like a true knight, a savior that rescued them.

"Théodred...do you know of any legends that...tells of a more unusual nature?"

He seemed surprised. Yet since he had some education by tutors from Gondor, thanks to his grandmother having her origins and his father spending some years of his youth there, Théodred tried to answer her question.

"I only know that the Path of Men, the afterlife for us of the Race of Men, is unknown while the souls of Elves are staying in the Halls of Mandos before rebirth again in the Undying Lands. Some says that the Path of Men actually is a circle of death and rebirth, living a new life again soon after death."

"And...is there tales of different worlds? About how people...might have vanished and never seen again?"

By the river Rhoyne, it was so hard to find the right words! Mentally, Elia started a prayer, one spoken in a really ancient form of the Common Tongue that was only known in Dorne.

Suddenly, she felt her hand being taken. Not in a firm hold, but a gentle one, as if silently trying to help her speak the words needed.

"Elia. You..._**are not from**_ the East of Middle-earth at all, are you? I knew that something strange happened in Fangorn Forest on the day we met, something that was not normal."

As soon as he spoke those words, Elia felt her palm somehow become warmer, as if she held a hot object in a closed hand. Whatever it was that has happened that day, nearly a year ago, Théodred somehow knew from his very soul that it had nothing to do with the dark power of Sauron. Something else, a mysterious power that neither he or Elia could explain.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note; Given that Faramir actually is the one who have the repeated dream about seeking the Sword That was Broken as well his repeated dreams of the Downfall of Númenor in the books, I think Boromir would at least be a little familiar with people that might act a little strange at times.

I checked out the average weight for a two-year-old like Aegon, so he would be about 12,5 kilo in weight since he lives in the royal household of Rohan and this would allow him and Rhaenys to have a better diet than a commoner child in the same age

Ever since the LOTR books first came out, a lot of fans have in generally not been pleased with Éowyn giving up being a female warrior for marrying Faramir. However, I tried to think of a logical reason to why shieldmaidens might be rare in Rohan despite their warrior culture: They are UNMARRIED women, old enough for courtship and marriage but have not accepted a marriage proposal yet, but will become housewives and mothers when marrying. Also, sending out pregnant women out in battle would not exactly promise a steady population growth. Shieldmaidens in actual Norse sagas hung up their weapons whenever they married (remember that "maiden" refers to being an unmarried woman), so canon Éowyn is perfectly in line with her legendary forebears.

It is not mentioned on the LOTR wikis in what degree Morwen is related to the House of Dol Amroth, but Boromir's and Faramir's maternal grandfather Adrahil II of Dol Amroth is listed to have died in 3010, so he is still alive for now but not for many more years

Cyneburg is a Anglo-saxon female name meaning "royal fortress" from "cyne" royal and "burg" fortress. Brego, the second King of Rohan was born in Third Age year 2512 when Eorl was 27 years old, but that does not mean that Brego necessary are the firstborn child, he could very well have had a older sibling that might not have lived to adulthood for some reason


	36. Chapter 36

**Telling the truth, part 2 **

Author note: Sorry for this chapter being a bit late, everyone! Just as Elia found it hard to find the right words in order to tell the truth to Théodred, the chapter itself was a bit tricky for me to write! / Rogercat

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Somehow, it felt like a strange comfort that Théodred had realized what she tried to tell him. But Elia knew that it would not be enough, she had to tell everything else what she had managed to find out so far about how she had ended up in Arda, because the loss of his protection would mean danger for her children.

"At first...I thought that Rohan might be a more northern neighboring country than the one I had married into, my late husband being the future ruler of the country and city where you saved me. But as time passed on...I realized that it was not true. Nothing matched with what I knew of that country, the landscape of a endless sea of grass on the steppes here in Rohan, your culture and the Rohirric language...so when Gandalf confirmed that this indeed was not even my own world, I knew that I had to tell you this. But finding the right words...and the right timing...was hard. I did not want anyone to overhear and get the wrong impression of that I am here to bring harm to Rohan."

She was trembling on her voice, and Théodred could tell from their held hands that she tried to not tremble too much in her hand either. She was scared of his reaction, he understood that.

"Can you tell the the full circumstances of what your husband did? And why you almost were murdered together with your shared children? By what you have told me before, Aegon would hold importance as a male heir, and Rhaenys are still able to be a heiress, even if she is not the first choice according the customs of the place where you married."

Elia pushed down the memories of Harrendal, trying to keep her own feelings neutral. She had to move past the feelings of the humiliation she felt then, when Rhaegar crowned Lyanna Stark as the Queen of Love and Beauty in front of everyone else, put it in the past where it belonged.

"It all started on the day five years ago my family got a letter where we learned from my now late father-in-law that I had been chosen as the woman to be betrothed to his son, as the future mother of the next generation…"

She had to tell him, all of it. This was her share of _Truth-Hunting, _which had been celebrated today.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Back in Aldburg with Elia's children and his own sister's children fast asleep in their beds after a exciting day, Théoden refused to let himself be idle by knitting in front of the hearth since he had no plans for bed yet. It was a skill he had been taught by his mother and sisters as young boy, partly as a way to make himself relax if he were restless and to be useful in whatever free time he could have as King of Rohan.

"You are thinking of something deeply, dear son," the Queen Mother commented as she made the finished touch on a knitted skirt she hoped to be the right size for her granddaughter. Morwen could tell some of her son's mood, from the way he had been knitting the chamomile-dyed yellow yarn into a long scarf rather intensively for a while now. She would feel like a poor mother if she never mastered to read the body language of her five children, for all of that only her two oldest ones were still alive today.

"My son and lady Elia have not yet returned. They have been away for a good while now."

Not that Théoden suspected that their delay was due to anything of the sexual kind, he knew from a decade back that his son were not a womanizer or easy to seduce, which had proved itself when his heir had came of age without even sharing a bed with any girl he might have a crush on. Sure, Théodred had been with a few women over the years as he continued with his various duties as Second Marshal of the Riddermark, with his command based at Helm's Deep, but nothing suggested that it ever had gone to a deeper level.

"Whatever the reason, I think the sight of him with lady Elia will be viewed as a positive sign for those who fears that he might shun marriage altogether or is not drawn to either women or men at all."

In a different corner but still within hearing distance from the Queen Mother of Rohan, Boromir twisted uncomfortably, mentally wondering if it was the friendship with him, well known in Gondor for the exact same reason, that made the people of Rohan wonder why their Prince had not entered any meaningful relationship with a lady yet. He and Faramir had already agreed on that Faramir would be his heir and letting Boromir be a doting uncle to whatever nephews and nieces that Faramir would have from a marriage, but Éomer and Éowyn were over a decade younger than Théodred, and being his only surviving cousins born from the King's youngest sister with their other maternal aunts being childless, that was a major problem for the succession unless Théodred himself married and had children of his own.

Now the Prince of Rohan and the lady returned from their riding tour after caring for the horses in the stables. Both were silent, and something seemed to be almost..._distant _between them. What exactly had their private talk been about, really, for them to suddenly be like this?

"I wish you a blessed night of sleep, my Prince," Elia spoke with a curtsy of respect for him, lowing her head before turning around to enter the guest chamber where Rhaenys and Aegon were already sleeping.

"The same for you, my lady."

Once the door closed behind Elia, Théodred sat down beside his father and grabbed a tankard of ale from the nearest table, emptying it almost in one go.

"Please do not ask what we talked about, for now. I have a incoming headache and needs to keep my itching fingers from grabbing anything sharp, resulting from wanting to dig up the body of her husband from his grave and _chop up his remains with a butcher's cleaver._"

That was so unlike him to speak that everyone within hearing distance realized that whatever the talk with Elia had been about, it had not been anything pleasant.

"What did she say about her late husband now?"

"_**His unfaithfulness towards their marriage vows were inspired by a foolish prophecy, and the failure to realize that having a third child with the same age difference as it is between little Rhaenys and Aegon with another woman, would be a disaster because his family history have already shown twice in the past that a younger child not born from the mother of the legal heir is asking for a civil war to happen the moment he entered the afterlife.**_"

Since Elia had begged him to not tell all the details, this was all Théodred would reveal.

And inside the chamber, kneeling on the floor so she did not wake up her sleeping children, Elia prayed to Mother Rhoyne and the Valar that the reveal of the truth would not change the relationship between her and the Prince of Rohan, that he would remain the protector of her little family until that they found a way to return home to Dorne.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note: according to ASOIAF wiki, Elia and Rhaegar was betrothed in early 279 A.C and since I tend to headcanon that they married on the New Year in 280 A.C as a symbol of a new beginning in the royal family, Elia would have been 23 years old at the wedding and likely turned 24 before Rhaenys was born

Théoden having a "hobby" of knitting despite being King? Of course, Rohan might be based on Anglo-Saxon culture but in the Middle Ages, there were knitting guilds, essentially labor unions, which prohibited women from joining. Besides, why not learn a useful skill that can help making clothing, and that can also be used to make other nice stuff for family members? And the Swedish king Gustav V (reigned 1907-1950) started to make embroidery as hobby somewhere in the last few years before WWI

As I imagine Théodred to be demi-sexual, aka a person who only experience sexual attraction to someone that they have close emotional connections with, that would make any previous attempt of courtship rather hard for him and with Rohan not having any modern terms for that kind of sexuality, it would likely come off as strange for the future King to not even have a past betrothal that might have been broken off for some reason

It is the Dance of the Dragons and the five Blackfyre Rebellions that Elia indirectly mentioned to Théodred as to why Rhaegar failed to see in the past Targaryen history of what is bound to happen if he had a living child with Lyanna instead of being satisfied with that Elia had given him two living, healthy children as his heirs. Since Lyanna was not Rhaegar's legal wife or mother to his heir, the Rebellion led by Robert were most likely bound to happen in one way or another


	37. Chapter 37

**Hidden prince**

Author note: A little "filler episode" again, I am blaming my re-reading of the japanese manga Yume No Shizuku Kin No Torikago, which tells a fictional version about the love story of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his eventual wife Hurrem, as the inspiration for a idea that could add into the changes from canon LOTR in this crossover AU. Basically, the manga version of Suleiman somehow clicked life into a side-plot bunny that will be important later for the War of the Ring 12 years ahead in time in-story. / Rogercat

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Autumn months of year 3005 of the Third Age, a few months before the Winter Solstice in Rohan:

The Sultanate of Rûm were one of many different kingdoms and lands in Rhûn and Near Harad. One of the most powerful among the neighbour countries, yet held deeply in the hands of Khamûl, the second most powerful Nazgûl, because Sauron had given him the role of controlling the rulers of Rhûn. Sadly, that also meant a huge part of Near Harad and the various sultans, khans and kings there.

"It is bittersweet to return home after a long journey. It is my homeland and the culture I have grown up with, but at the same time, when I am away in the West to sell my goods, I can feel the difference of a population not held in control by a mighty power far above the local ruler."

Showing the tattooed crescent moon on the palm for the city guards of Manisa as a sign of being civilians of the sultanate, the group of travellers were allowed inside the port city, As a member of a important merchant clan here in Rûm, Laith Al-Amin would be someone who travelled often between the capital and its smaller sister-cities for trade and he also had gifts for the governor that would be sent further to the capital as tribute for the royal court.

The whole governor family were gathered in the garden, in the shade of several tall trees to avoid the sun.

"Şehzade Suleiman, I bring some gifts in the trade from Rohan and Rhûn that should please your Lord Father."

Although the governor was the most powerful person in Manisa, the one claimed to be his son by a concubine gifted from the Sultan's harem, was actually someone with far more superior blood.

A imperial prince, smuggled out from the royal palace while still sleeping in the womb of his mother under the disguise that she was a gift to the governor for faithfulness, as soon as she had passed the fourth month of pregnancy and would not lose the Sultan's heir by a miscarriage, fooling the spies of Mordor by changing her name into a different one and have another concubine of similar body build and skin colour pretend to be her at the Sultan's side when the small group of courtiers had escorted her out from the harem. This child were the fourteen-year-old Suleiman.

"I hope that nothing happened on the journey to the northern lands? In the newest letter smuggled out from the palace for me, Father mentions that our ambassador in Rhûn have found a interesting rumour. That a young woman of Númenorian facial features were found wandering on the streets of a minor town somewhere, with a albino child in her arms."

Despite his deep kneeling, Laith flinched at hearing that. It was well-known in most of Rhûn and Near Harad that Lord Khamûl absolutely _loathed _women from Númenor, rumours claiming noble-born ones to be especially targets for that loathing, something claimed to be related to how he had become one of the Nazgûl in the first place. After all, he had been a mighty ruler of his own empire so long ago, and like most Kings back then, having a harem outside a legal Great Royal Wife would just as normal for a ruler as needing to eat and drink like any other mortal.

"The ambassador were present when that girl and her child were brought to the Temple of the Shadow. Lord Khamûl did not touch the baby, merely holding his ghost hand above her, but according to his own words, the albino girl were of "unclean breeding" on both sides of her lineage and ordered her to be made barren once she have the first signs of entering womanhood."

Unclean breeding. The official term for a child born with a lineage of siblings having children together and other close relatives marrying each others. Such people were undesirable as spouses for the higher risk of having disabled children, either in body or mind.

"But it seems like the albino baby girl will still have a chance to become a _seer_ at the Temple if she lives to adulthood and have the gift of foresight, otherwise she will be merely a slave for life. As for the mother…well, she had been caught in the middle of stealing from a food stand like a thief. For that, she was whipped and made a slave in the Temple, earning her food by being the one to sweep the temple free from sand everyday instead of serving as one of the formal consorts of Lord Khamûl, for all of that it is many centuries since he had a body still able to bed a woman. He did not find her humble enough to serve as a consort."

In the past, any woman with Númenorian lineage or colouring would be sent to the Temple of Shadows, from where Khamûl ruled the Eastern Lands on behalf of Sauron. Nowadays it was more common with peasant daughters sold into slavery to repay debts, but sometimes there would be women caught in the north and smuggled south since Gondor could no longer watch its northern borders as done in the past. There was a hierarchy, where the formal consorts were the only ones allowed to dress Khamûl in the new black garments weaved by other slave girls below the consorts in status and where the temple sweepes were the lowest in rank of the slaves there.

"The young mother better not a Gondorian noble, then. Causing a war over a missing woman is just a waste of supplies, and would possibly make it harder for Mylord to claim the throne as a adult."

Suleiman snorted, looking annoyed at the mere thought of such a stupid reason for war. True, he were still a few years too young to start having concubines in a harem of his own and fathering children, but his studies of history in school had taught him that sometimes, wars was indeed started over something which the future generations would view as foolish.

"Thanks for the gifts you have brought from afar, Laith. You shall be given gold coins and jewelry as payment. Use those as gifts for your own family or sell them further."

The merchant knew that last part to not be a dismissal, merely a request to keep finding information that could help Suleiman to become the next Sultan after his father. Being the only prince to not be locked up in the palace with the current ruler and the half-siblings born from other concubines, Suleiman carried the burden of the common people dreaming of a new Sultan that would be a active ruler in his own right, not as a puppet by the spies serving Khamûl.

Once back in his own bedchamber, Suleiman opened the private rapport Laith had handed him. Inside, there was a watercolour painting of a woman with olive skin, black hair and matching eyes. On her left side, a young girl of similar colour stood, and a younger boy with white hair and dark blue eyes sat in the knee of the mother.

"A lady called _Elia Martell_, somehow ending up in the land of Rohan with her young children, and searching a way back to her homeland Dorne? "

Something in his left palm did itch when he spoke the lady's surname and Suleiman removed the thin silk glove to reveal that his left palm were marked with a crescent moon. But unlike Laith and other civilians of his homeland who had it tattooed with black ink into the skin, this faint golden colour marked Suleiman as a member of the ruling dynasty, and though a very distant bloodline across the past millennials, as a descendant of Khamûl from the time the Shadow of the East were still a mortal. He had to keep it hidden all time apart from his mother and a few trusted servants and Laith who acted as one of several secret messengers between Suleiman and to his father the Sultan, for if this mark was spotted by a wrong person and reported to Khamûl though his spies, then Suleiman, his mother and the whole family with the governor of Manisa would lose their heads for trying to deceive Sauron.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

In the lands of Rhûn, the Temple of Shadows:

One of the formal consorts, showing her status by being dressed like how the fashion once had been in the long-gone realm Khamûl had ruled as King, dropped a smaller jar of water down on the stone floor at seeing Khamûl arrive out from the shadows.

"M-my Lord?! We were not expecting you…" she stuttered in terror at realizing what she just had done for terror in the presence of her master, kneeling hastily on the floor in the middle of her water puddle despite that her white linen dress became soaked as a result. But to her great surprise, he merely passed by her instead of any form of punishment.

"Have the self-claimed _wolf-girl_ clean up this mess, a consort of mine shall not do the work of a servant. Get back to your own chamber."

"Y-yes!"

With the consort hurrying away, one of the apprentice priests removed himself from the pillars and went to bring Lyanna Stark to do her new task instead of helping some other slaves to carry in fresh water in large, heavy jars from the temple well.

In a different chamber, built to work as a nursery for the baby girls born into slavery and brought to the temple to become either the lower-ranking slaves or consorts as they grew up, Visenya Waters was held up by a nursemaid towards Khamûl. Over the months since mother and daughter had been reborn in new bodies here in Middle-earth, Visenya had gotten the same purple colour on her eyes as her sire Rhaegar Targaryen, only showing her Stark lineage by the longer face inherited from Lyanna.

"Despite having similar colours, you better not be related to that half-dead _**trash **_calling himself a prince of some seven kingdoms united into one realm, that was found at the Black Gate some months ago with his chest crushed by a large war hammer to near fatality," was all that Khamûl commented as the baby girl remained all still with his eyes on her. It was the same every time he came to look at her, a minor surprise that despite her paternal grandparents and great-grandparents being siblings who married each other, she had still managed to survive so far.

"Ka?" Visenya suddenly breathed in a small, almost unheard voice, as if she tried to respond. A thin smile would have been hinted on his lips, had Khamûl not had his hood over his face.

"Yes, grow up to be far smarter than that inbred trash that sired you and the foolish mother who birthed you, girl. I prefer my consorts to be wise, for while I no longer can sire children on the consorts, them being educated to at least give me pleasant company is never wrong."

Though the window that showed a smaller court yard, Lyanna Stark was heard screaming in pain as she once again was whipped for not having done her cleaning task well enough and the consort from before scolding the daughter of Winterfell about failing to realize that this poorly-made work would mean a lesser food portion again for the second time in seven days.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note: The Sultanate of Rûm (also known as the Rûm sultanate (Persian: سلجوقیان روم , Saljuqiyān-e Rum), Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate, Sultanate of Iconium, Anatolian Seljuk State (Turkish: Anadolu Selçuklu Devleti) or Seljuk Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye Selçukluları) was a Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim state established in the parts of Anatolia which had been conquered from the Byzantine Empire by the Seljuk Empire, which was established by the Seljuk Turks. It existed between 1077-1308

Şehzade (Persian: شهزاده ) is the Turkish form of the Persian title Shahzade, and refers to the male descendants of an Ottoman sovereign in the male line. This title is equivalent to "prince of the blood imperial" in English.

Suleiman the Magnificent lived in the city of Manisa as its governor between 1513-1520, so I thought that for this Middle-earth version of him currently being no older than fourteen, the current governor could be a foster father holding the post

Like the other Nazgûl, Khamûl became a powerful sorcerer after being given one of the nine Rings of Power from Sauron. I imagine that he is using some of those powers to see how Visenya have a father that is born from two generations of sibling incest, between Jaehaerys II and his sister Shaera, and their children Aerys II and Rhaella and Lyanna's mother Lyarra are listed as the first cousin once removed to her husband Rickard Stark, Lyanna's father. So basically Visenya would have some major inbreeding in her DNA, and since I imagine that the Martells in the generations between Maron Martell and the current Martells have worked hard on removing any possible health damage from the inbred Targaryen blood by marrying unrelated spouses, that is my idea to why Rhaenys and Aegon is more healthy in terms on fresh genes from their maternal side.


	38. Chapter 38

**Summer solstice **

Author note: Just a quick mention about that from this chapter on, I will be making a few time jumps between some future chapters as I do not want to drag out the story to become too long before anything more in the romance manner happens between Elia and Théodred. But the reveal of her being from another world is going to add some tension for them, which should be a realistic reaction, do you readers not agree on that? / Rogercat

~X~X~X~X~X~X

As the year in Rohan was based on the changes of the sun, with Winter solstice being the New Year and Summer solstice marking the middle of summer, that half a year had already passed.

"To think that he saved me only days after midsummer last year…"

A whole year. During those past 12 months, Elia knew that her life had changed in a manner that no one could tell when the news of Rhaegar falling in battle against Robert Baratheon, had arrived to the Red Keep. Her daughter and son had lost their worthless father, and she had pretended to mourn Rhaegar in public, mostly for the sake of Rhaella who had lost the eldest of her two children surviving infanthood, while Elia simply enjoyed the widowhood that the Lord of Storm's End had gifted her.

"_To seek the truth, to find the source of this mystery. Why are this happening, what role am I to play in this? To find a home, a place to belong…_"

Just like what she did right now, dancing in the light of dawn on top of the flat roof to a storehouse to welcome the sun on this celebration. It was originally a mix of a ancient dance from Dorne and a water dance from the Rhoynar to celebrate their mother goddess on a festival especially aimed to Mother Rhoyne, but this dance could still be performed in various ceremonies in Dorne today. The song were a ancient lullaby in the Martell family, so old that no one knew its origins, only that it was sung in a language that were, most likely, sadly extinct now due to the passing of time.

"_To remember, what must not be forgotten with time: Where the magic once was, and might be growing again. Beware of the Giver of Gifts, for he is not who he seems! Beware the white-haired son of the sea, the one who holds a dragon as his symbol…_"

Suddenly, Elia stopped her dancing, staring towards the rising sun as Edoras began to awake on the ground below. She had never realized that part of the lyrics before, how the Targaryen family sigil of a three-headed dragon could sound very alike one of the lyrics. Did it mean something the Martells had once known in the ancient past from Morgan Martell, and forgotten with the passing generations? Or had the lyrics been added when Nymeria and the Rhoynar arrived to Dorne, escaping from the Valyrian Freehold?

"Elia, get down before your children sees you up there! It would not be nice to see them try to climb up to join you!"

It was Théodred who called out to her in some panic. The first days after her reveal about being from another world, they had been awkward around each others but in the end, they tried to act as before for the sake of Rhaenys and Aegon, since her children did play attention to how the two main adults in their life behaved.

"I did use a ladder, no worry…"

At the same time, it was a comfort to see how Théodred still tried to act like a true protector for her family. A promise to keep, until that they could return to Dorne.

"Right, Boromir sent a letter that he have requested the various captains of the Gondorian Navy to keep a eye out for any ships that wears the Lannister lion or colours on their flags. He said that he mentioned it as a possible new ally of the Enemy, and that it was better to be watchful."

After some private talk, they had agreed to let Boromir know about her origins as well. As a fellow future ruler, it could be to his advantage to know about that the Westerlands had a fleet that could possibly turn up in the Bay of Belfalas if Tywin Lannister searched for Elia and her children outside Westeros.

"Good. While we still do not know how our worlds seemed to connect when you saved me, or how the letters between my family members and myself reaches Rohan and Sunspear, it is pleasant to know that Tywin Lannister won't have a easy time finding my family here due to the language barrier and other things that can make a search difficult."

Balerion showed up as they walked past the stables, with a big fat dead mouse hanging from the tail in his mouth. Despite being only little over a year, the black tomcat had already grown into a fearsome beast and recently defeating the older cat who had been the previous "feline ruler of the stables" as the stable grooms called it. So in a sense, Balerion had raised to his own kingship.

As many of the noble families had arrived to Edoras, not only for the Summer solstice celebration but also to try having their of-age daughters as a possible choice as the future Queen consort of Rohan by the marriage to Théodred, Morwen and Laywyn knew there could be some trouble brewing below the surplace. Therefore, the Queen Mother and her sole remaining daughter had gathered all the young, unwed noble daughters for a serious talk despite it being so early in the morning.

"As my grandson is the protector of lady Elia Martell and her children, acting unkindly to any of the three members in that small family could very well be a factor to Théodred not ending up choosing someone as his future wife. _A Queen consort is not merely the mother of a future heir, she is presenting the female half of Rohan to other countries and the second most powerful person in Rohan. _Besides, if a such scene happens to be the first impression of a specific lady to my grandson, he will not be able to trust her acting kindly to other women that she might think is trying to lure him away from his marital promises about fidelity. _**Jealousy is a poison which can ruin not only marriages, but also other kind of relationships as well.**_"

When Laywyn asked if they had heard about Cearo, the deceased sister to Sunniva, and her actions towards Elia earlier this spring, a surprising high number among the young ladies confirmed that they at least had learned about the event in some form of rumours or other source of information.

"Our parents and other relatives told us that acting in the same manner as Cearo would lessen our chances for a good marriage."

"Yes, even if we are not chosen by the Prince, other suitors are bound to be watching our behavior as well."

"And attacking someone who is a guest under your own roof, or that of your family, is breaking the very significance of hospitality! Who would want to be a guest of a such person, if they can not be trusted with giving you food, shelter and protection?"

Smiling kindly in secret pride over the honestly, Morwen told the young ladies that a such realization about their behavior and how it could affect not only themselves but others around them would made them fine court ladies, once there was a Princess by marriage again in Meduseld. Even if it would not be one of them, the rejected young ladies would still be able to find good marriage matches with other men.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

It pleased Elia to see Sunniva and Erkenbrand among the nobles, when Théodred presented her. Being under royal protection was one thing, but he and the King found it for the best to tell that she would be treated as a honored guest, since there could be some among the Rohirrim who secretly feared her to be a spy from Harad.

"It would be a poor way of repaying a savior by being a spy," she spoke out clearly with a formal curtsy to the King and the royal family, showing off all the training and manners she held as a princess of Dorne.

It was no surprise that some form of fertility rites were part of celebrating midsummer here in Rohan, for it was many married women who were either expecting or hoped to be blessed with a child to have next spring. When watching how the Rohirrim rode in a circle with yellow ribbons held out from one hand to form a symbolic sun in the green summer grass, Elia was joined by several of the unwed noble ladies.

"Excuse us, lady Elia, may we join you?"

"Please, be welcome."

As Mereliss had told Elia about the warning which the Queen Mother and Laywyn had given the possible bride candidates, namely that her family was under the protection of Théodred and that he would get a bad impression of them if she was treated unkindly, Elia tried to at least be civil. After all, if one of them were indeed the future Princess by marriage, she did not want to cause trouble in his search for a bride.

"Some of your faces...your sisters are Gwenhild and Eawynn, right? Two of the ladies who are still good friends with him despite being rejected in a courtship. Lady Sunniva pointed them out for me after the formal greetings earlier."

Some of them had older sisters who once had tried to become courted by Théodred some years ago, which he had mentioned when telling her of his past attempts of courtships, so most of them were between eighteen and twenty-five years of age. Well, given that the House of Eorl needed to grow in numbers since three of the princesses in the previous generation were childless, a bride that that were some years younger than Théodred were perhaps the best, as that would give her some extra years to have children.

Laywyn, who from a distance watched how things went between Elia and the young ladies so she could report the result to her brother and nephew, could see something which only a fellow woman could spot:

"She seems able to find some form of common ground with most women, be it as a mother, widow or something else. It is a diplomatic personality that is very useful whatever social class a woman belongs to."

With her age, Laywyn had a rough guess of what sort of woman that might be able to catch the attention of her nephew. Perhaps Elia would help him figure out what he wanted in a wife, for Laywyn could tell that Théodred needed some indirect help to take the final steps towards marriage and the life of hopefully being a father in time.

"Tía Laywyn!"

The use of the first word revealed Rhaenys as she came running with Balerion close behind, for Elia had given up in stopping her daughter from addressing the royal family as if they were a true family. It was only a matter of time before she started to address Théodred as her father too, just like Aegon already did.

"Hello there, young miss. Where have your sweet little brother run off to now?" Laywyn smiled at the young girl, knowing that Aegon most likely would be found in the company of the servant girls who acted as nursemaids if Elia needed some free time from her children. Or maybe even with her own mother, both the young children liked Morwen now when she no longer were a stranger.

As she was a big girl on four years now, Rhaenys got to stand beside Éowyn as two of the maiden brides in a mock wedding between boys and girls in the ages from young childhood to preadolescent. It was meant to symbolize the blossoming of new life, and allow the younger generation feel like a important part of the celebration.

"You were beautiful, Rhaenys," Elia smiled at her daughter when she returned to her mother and brother after the mock wedding, still with the wreath on her head.

"Sis!" Aegon greeted Rhaenys, though he was beginning to look tired after a long and exciting day with a lot of good food and nice company. Elia could see the same signs in her daughter.

"Is there any sibling teams that would like a nice bedtime story about how the sun and moon came into being?" Théodred asked nicely when he joined the small family, he knew a lot of old stories and legends from old times thanks to Morwen and thought that a such tale would fit today in the celebration to the summer sun.

"Yes!"

With a friendly grin, the Prince of Rohan picked up both Rhaenys and Aegon in his arms to carry them for Elia, who walked at his side back to Meduseld, using the chance to tell him that no one of his possible choices for a bride had been mean and that she hoped to maybe even form a true friendship with several of them, depending on for how long she stayed in Rohan.

"My late mother always said that even if you do not personally like a person, they can still be important allies in some form."

She had a perfect example in her own mother; Aria Martell had never liked Tywin Lannister, but her friendship with Joanna Lannister would still remain strong despite the age difference between them even after leaving the position as ladies-in-waiting to Rhaella to the point of that Aria still had tried one attempt to unite the next generation together in marriage. And Elia could very well imagine in her mind how her father Ihsan would have shown a rare outburst of anger over that Tywin had the nerve of showing such disrespect towards his late wife's friendship with not only the Targaryen queen and a ruling Princess of Dorne, by trying to kill the only daughter of Aria Martell in the Sack of King's Landing for being the one to marry Rhaegar and bear his children instead of his own golden daughter Cersei, simply because Elia was ten years older and already a adult woman able to get pregnant as soon as possible after the royal wedding.

"Abuelo Ihsan would have stormed off to return shortly after and toss heavy books on that person, if he had been here. Trust me, he is a lover of old lore and for him to toss his beloved books across a room...a bad sign on his anger," Elia laughed, when Rhaenys asked how her maternal grandfather would have reacted on someone being mean to her.

"Then let me tell you this little secret: I once got a heavy old book on my head when I was visiting Gondor as a guest of Boromir and I looked around in a library there. It knocked me out because I fell over from the sudden hit from above and naturally did not wear my helmet," Théodred commented in good humour, making the young sister and brother duo laugh in his arms. A good ending on a nice day for them all.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note: Boromir also learning that Elia is not from Middle-earth? Yes, she views him as a important ally in her current situation and since Gondor, unlike Rohan, actually have a coastline along its borders, Elia worried about how things could turn out if a ship from the Westerlands with men loyal to House Lannister would show up. Besides, Boromir is the future Steward, she views him as being enrighted to know that House Lannister could be a possible enemy even if they do not ally with Sauron.

Of course words of Cearo's actions towards Elia would be spread in Rohan, since her running away from the intended punishment would request others to help searching for her in order to have her found and people would want to know what crime she did

About "three of the princesses in the previous generation were childness": Since Lawyn is asexual with no desire for either marriage or motherhood, and her two younger sisters Sunnwyn and Mildwyn died before having children despite being married, Théodwyn is the only one among the four sisters of Théoden to have children.

Some more Anglo-Saxon names for the women of Rohan: Cwenhild – from woman and war. Eawynn – from river and joy.

Tía means "aunt" in Spanish, so I liked the idea of Rhaenys starting to refer the members of the Rohan royal family in the same manner as she could address her actual family members in Dorne

In Western Norway at Midsummer celebrated on June 23, a custom of arranging mock weddings, both between adults and between children, is still kept alive. The wedding was meant to symbolize the blossoming of new life. Such weddings are known to have taken place in the 1800s, but the custom is believed to be older. It seemed to suit the culture of Rohan to do on summer solstice


	39. Chapter 39

_**Daughters of a new era**_

Author note; As mentioned in last chapter, there will be a few time jumps between some of the future chapters, so let us start with the birth of the fifth little Sand Snake and a few others in Westeros! In order to not confuse myself with the time between the two worlds, I have chosen to make the vernal equinox in Rohan to be the equivalent to New Year in Westeros. / Rogercat

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Year 285 A.C, Old Palace in Sunspear:

Ellaria gave birth to her first child not many days after the New Year. Somehow, no one seemed surprised by that Oberyn now had five daughters. At least, not Ihsan anyway when the family members gathered in the chamber to welcome the newest little arrival.

"It is a message from the afterlife from Aria that you should be careful with your annual income from now on, dear son, in case you need to save so all the girls have a good-sized dowry for their respective wedding," he joked to his younger son, at which Oberyn protested;

"I am not going to have them be married off to tie together a political alliance!"

Even if Oberyn could not marry Ellaria due to her being a bastard of the still unmarried Lord Harmen Uller, a paramour were still enrighted to protection and in Dorne bastard children could actually inherit their noble parent, if any children in a legal marriage did not make it to adulthood.

"Oberyn, Ellaria, what do you two say about naming this little one Eliana? That way, her name can honor her aunt but not cause any misunderstanding between them if someone calls the name, when Elia returns home," Mellario suggested when she was allowed to hold the newborn girl too.

"Yes, because Mother Rhoyne have answered our prayers about that Elia, Rhaenys and Aegon are in a safe place with a good protector."

"Eli!" Saerella, nearly turned four-year-old, spoke up at the pillows near Mellario, indirectly offering a nickname for her little half-sister. At her side, Quentyn again proved himself a little more on the shy side as he tugged on the tunic of his father.

"Thank you, Sarella, a good nickname indeed."

Giving Eliana back to Ellaria, Mellario picked up her son and daughter, asking them to help her pick some nice flowers out in the gardens to put in a glass vase which could be placed on the small table near the bed where Ellaria rested after the childbirth. The four older Sand daughters of Oberyn followed after their aunt and cousins, Doran and Ihsan joining in on a distance so Oberyn and Ellaria could have some private time together.

As they walked slower on deliberately so the rest of the current Martell family eventually was not heard at all in the same corridor, father and son began to talk about something completely different subject:

"Elia wrote in her latest letter that Prince Théodred have started to search for a bride. As he is a only child, and there is only two first-cousins to act as backup heirs for his aging father, he can not delay that duty anymore. She is trying to give him some indirect help in the eventual choosing by befriending the possible ladies."

"Truly regrettable that he is from a different world all together. He sounds like he could have been a far more suitable husband for Elia than the _**disaster to unfaithful dragon**_ that she wed, all because of that damned Targaryen blood in House Martell hailing from princess Daenerys who married Prince Maron 98 years ago when she was a young maiden of 15 years!"

For all of that Ihsan was of a less strict personality than his late wife Aria, the former Prince consort of Dorne proved himself her equal in terms of not viewing Rhaegar Targaryen as worthy of their only daughter. A future King of Westeros and thus outranking any other suitor, yes, but matching Elia in personality? Not at all. During her time as a lady-in-waiting for Rhaella in the Red Keep, since she had returned to Dorne when her own mother Aminah had been on her deathbed and thus had to take up the role as the next ruling Princess, Aria had written many letters back home to Ihsan about how Rhaegar even as a child had been melancholic and broody, in a manner that she felt uneasy about. As Ihsan had arrived on visits to the royal court several times and naturally gotten her with child during nearly each visit because they could not keep their hands off each other after a long separation, Aria had blamed her miscarriages on the gloomy surroundings of the Red Keep, and she also felt that their lost lost sons in infanthood, Mors and Olyvar, had been affected by her time at court despite being born in Dorne after that Aria had returned home, not wanting to be in the Red Keep anymore after her third miscarriage in fear of that someone might have secretly tried to poison her and make her infertile after the birth of Doran.

"Makes you wish to somehow go back in time and prevent Oberyn from making that joke about poor Baelor Hightower farting in their presence, right? It was that innocent joke that ruined the chance of Elia marrying him because she could not look at him afterwards without laughing," Doran said, knowing about that event from a letter Aria had sent home to her oldest son, acting as regent in her stead, as both his parents and siblings were away on the journey.

"Your brother have already regretted that joke more than enough over the past four years, and Baelor himself have written that despite everything, he was alright to let it become a funny memory of that visit for your sister. It was meant to make Elia have some fun but none of the three could know how it could end."

With that, Ihsan returned to his private library, where he now had gathered some really old books from the other nobles Houses in Dorne, after sending letters to them and asking if they could lend him any of their oldest-existing books in their libraries and other places where old records might be. If he had to find a way that could help Elia and her children return to their own world from Middle-earth, then he had to look deeper in old lore and legends, trying to decode ancient texts that revealed how languages change over time.

"I hope that my grandchildren might be able to help me in this when they are older. I am already past sixty years since my birth and I do not know for how long I will live."

Ihsan and Aria had been only a few months apart in age, both 23 years old when Doran was born and 32 when Elia arrived, so he were not that surprised over that his eyesight had started to get weaker with time.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

In the third month of year 285, the first member in the next generation in House Lannister of Casterly Rock was born.

"A girl?" Jaime said in a flat voice, when he saw the result of his undesired beddings of Rayelle, laying there in the same cradle as he, Cersei and Tyrion once had.

"Are you telling me to give up life and pass away like your mother because it is not a desired son?!" Rayelle snapped in a rare show of anger from the bed, she was exhausted after the birth and personally did not care about that it was a daughter, she had survived the delivery and would not accept Jaime having one of those moods he used to have ever since losing his sword hand.

"Jaime, she is a future playmate for our royal nephew and niece, surely they would enjoy the company of a cousin that is only a year younger?" Tyrion wondered, letting the baby grab his fingers. The baby girl were healthy and strong, promising to perhaps not become a stunning beauty like Cersei but she would still be a sought-after bride when she was old enough.

"Joanna, after our mother."

"Good that you at least give her a name instead of letting me having to choose one."

Perhaps it was good that Tywin was away to the royal court for now, unable to protest that his late wife now shared a name with her second granddaughter, and when he returned it would be too late to change the name anyway. During those last months of her pregnancy, Rayelle had proved herself less of a mouse when her goodfather was no longer around, but she and Jaime had still not formed any sort of friendship that could turn into some form of eventual love when they were older.

"Is it fine that I tells those news to my future lady wife?"

Tyrion meant the Clegane girl who he had found himself to marry in a few years, as a reward for her saving Jaime from bleeding out to death when losing his swordhand. They had only met so far during a betrothal ceremony, where Sandor Clegane also had been granted several more lands with belonging mines to get a high annual income and raised in status to be more closer to a lord than a landed knight, but he had found Tysha to be a sweet girl and had promised himself to try his best to be a good husband for her. Besides, a manor house in Lannisport would also mean a home away from his father, so perhaps his life would be a little easier in the future.

"Please do, Tyrion. She is Joanna's future aunt by marriage, after all."

For a moment, Jaime felt oddly jealous by how easy Rayelle and Tyrion got along, sharing a love for books and reading, but then he pushed down that feeling. She would never dare to be unfaithful, in fear of his father, and it was only good that she got along with someone in the family at least.

In one of his pockets laid a secret love letter from Cersei. There she wrote of how Robert intended to visit his maternal kin, the House of Estermont, in a few months. If he could join the royal court there in the Greenstone castle, perhaps they would finally be able to make love and conceive a child together. If only her unwanted son by Robert, Lyonel Baratheon, died as sometimes happened to infants in the cradle and small children at a young age, then that son between her and Jaime would be the new Crown prince and inherit the Seven Kingdoms from his false father Robert.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

As the Hand of the King, yet having no living children from his two previous marriages, it was nothing strange with Jon Arryn sending after his young wife from the Vale of Arryn and having her live at the royal court. Lysa hated the atmosphere at the royal court because it felt as if people mocked her marriage and age difference to her husband behind her back, and preferred to live in a simpler villa near the Great Sept of Baelor on top of Visenya's Hill, away from the dangers of Flea Bottom. It allowed her to often be seen praying in the sept, gaining a reputation as a pious lady who were not tempered by the court.

In the tenth month of the year, just one day after that the news of Queen Cersei would give the royal dynasty a new prince or princess less than a half a year later, did Lysa Arryn herself give birth to her first child.

It was a daughter, who Lysa insisted on naming Celia, after the great-aunt who had almost been a Queen of Westeros, the sister of her grandfather, had not Jaehaerys followed the Targaryen tradition of falling in love with his own sister Shaera and eloped with her in order to marry each other and consummated the marriage before their father Aegon V managed to stop it from happening.

"A strong and healthy _**living**_ daughter is no less valuable than a son born later, for she can become a unknown treasure in her own right if she grows up to become useful even outside marriage," Rhoyne commented sharply as she sent out the female servants coming along from the Vale of Arryn, after hearing two of them mutter a little too loud that Lysa should have prayed for a son instead so her husband finally had a male heir.

"Rather a daughter than a son, for then she will be mine until she enters marriage."

Lysa had felt her maternal instincts awaken at the first look on her little girl, and refused to be upset over that it was the "wrong" gender that was the result of the childbirth. Just last week, Catelyn had sent a letter with a sad mention of having suffered a miscarriage, just as her sister hoped to be blessed with a second son in order to have both a heir and spare to Eddard Stark.

Even the most healthy women could have a miscarriage, Rhoyne had told Lysa over the past year since they had managed to detox her from the moon tea and found it safe for Lysa to share a bed with Jon again for a new attempt of pregnancy, and just because Jon Snow, the bastard son of Brandon Stark, was already in the nursery when Catelyn and her son Robb arrived to Winterfell, it did not mean that Eddard Stark planned to have his illegal nephew as a backup heir.

"Cat hates the Snow boy for being a proof of that Brandon would rather bed a Rivers bastard from our homeland than her…"

At least Eddard had admitted the boy true fatherhood after learning of the miscarriage, but Lysa knew that her older sister was deeply hurt by that if the circumstances around the time of her intended wedding were a just little different, Jon Snow was the posthumous son she could have given Brandon as his heir, a infant Lord of Winterfell with his paternal uncle Eddard as regent until coming of age. But it did not make it any easier for Catelyn to be around the boy, because he symbolized what could have been her life in a different way.

"Right, mylady. Let us send a message to Lord Jon that he have a healthy heiress and that he is welcome to come over to look at her now. And remember, a older son might be named by your husband but you should be able to name a younger son after the late Petyr Baelish who died with his father in the Battle of the Bells, there is nothing uncommon with sometimes naming a child after a childhood friend."

Lysa knew that there would soon be a letter from her father, nagging about that she needed a son to Jon Arryn, but for now, she just wanted to bond with her newborn daughter.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note: As Elia is still alive in this verse, I thought that Oberyn and Ellaria might change the name of their first daughter somewhat. Eliana means "God Has Answered" and is of Hebrew origin.

Sarella Sand is noted to be born in either 280 or 281 A.C, so I chose the later year in order to make her some months younger than Rhaenys but also some months older than Doran's older son Quentyn. Somehow I liked the idea of Ihsan joking about gaining three grandchildren, one from each of his three children, in less than a year

Somehow I feel it suiting that Doran is the son and grandson of a previous ruling Princess of Dorne since he is the father of future ruling Princess Arianne, so I chose the name Aminah for Aria's mother and predecessor as the ruler of Dorne, and in RL Aminah is the name of the mother to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Maron Martell and princess Daenerys Targaryen wed in 187 A.C, so it is nearly a hundred years since that marriage in-story. Since I headcanon about Doran, Elia and Oberyn being a fifth-generation descendants of that marriage, I wanted Ihsan and Aria to have been of age when they married but waited a few years before having children

About Catelyn having a miscarriage; it is three years between the births of Robb and Sansa in canon, so if we take away the nine months of a pregnancy and the needed weeks/months of travel between Winterfell and Riverrun, I think it would not be impossible that Catelyn hoped to have a second son in order to avoid Jon Snow be the Stark heir after Robb and consolidate her position as a fertile Lady of Winterfell who could give her husband a large number of children with several extra sons after the first-born heir


	40. Chapter 40

Year 3007 of the Third Age, Edoras, the capital of Rohan, the day before the summer solstice:

Another year had now passed. Both Elia and Théodred had turned 29 years old this year, Rhaenys were five and a half, Aegon some months past his third birthday.

"I feel sorry for Padre about that despite all his work so far, we are nowhere closer to finding a way back home for me and the children."

"Theo! Theo!" Rhaenys called somewhere in the distance. No doubt that she was with Aegon and Théodred, and openly acting as if they were a family, with the only difference she thankfully had not yet started to address the Prince of Rohan as her father like Aegon did. Elia only allowed her son that because he did not know any better, but Rhaenys had been carefully warned about that it could cause some trouble for the Prince in his bride-search if she was heard calling him so.

"Right, Rhae, shall we give the carrots to the mares and their foals? I do not know if the foals can eat the offered treats yet, but their mother would be happy, I believe."

The sound of Théodred laughing at something Aegon said, and then Rhaenys asking him about something else. Had Elia not known the truth, she could have mistaken it as the voices of her children with their actual father.

Given her old age, Morwen had known that there would be only a matter of time before lady Elia might realize that she was falling in love with her oldest grandson. Not that it would be the first time a member of the House of Eorl fell for a widow or widower, marrying a such spouse generally was viewed as a good promise of someone who was already familiar with how marriage worked, and if there was any children from the previous marriage, it gave them a new mother or father figure to grow up with.

"Wonder which one that is going to realize their feelings first, sweetheart?" she asked her remaining daughter, as Laywyn tried to spot the raven-haired woman somewhere at the river Snowbourn outside Edoras through a open window. Théoden were in a meeting with his advisors, so he had a legal reason for not present and discussing this with his mother and sister.

"It is not that my brothor-sune is slow-minded, I think he have realized it but is afraid of that lady Elia might not feel the same. Since she did end up in a bad marriage with a such husband, she is still on her guard when it comes to try romance again."

Laywyn had never fallen in love herself, but she had seen friends and family members do so, giving her rather good outsider view on how romantic love worked.

"Well, he might not say it openly but I think many of the ladies have started to spot the way he looks at her."

Hiding her smile over the knitting in her lap, Morwen was willing to bet some of her finest jewelry as a former Queen consort of Rohan on that her oldest grandson and the lady Martell would confess their feelings to each other within a year.

Out at the river Snowbourn:

For all of that she had promised herself that it was perfectly normal to see Théodred in the company of noble ladies from Rohan that could be a possible bride for him, laterly Elia had started to feel alarming jealous when spotting a such scene. As a adult woman closer to thirty than twenty in terms of age, and familiar with how love worked thanks to the culture in her homeland, she realized what that could possibly mean.

Worse, it had now trigged up her old anger at Rhaegar, and his actions that had led to the Rebellion. She had put most of that behind her, as a part of the past she preferred to ignore, but she would never forgive the Targaryen prince for thinking that a damned ancient prophecy was more important than the living world around him, and those who were his own family.

"_**If there's a prize for rotten judgment, I guess I've already won that.**_"

Picking up a small simbelmynë flower from the ground, Elia banished the memory of her dead husband and the Stark girl from her mind. From now on, white would symbolize the horse on the banner of Rohan, not the frozen lands in the most frozen part of Westeros which had birthed the she-wolf. The sign of the other Crown prince who had saved her from death.

"I can already imagine what Padre would say: _Take this chance of happiness and grab it before it slips out of your hands!_ That is how he and Madre ended up marrying, after all."

Elia knew that as a third son, Ihsan would have been a choice low on the list for possible husbands for her late mother when it was time for her to find a future Prince consort for her own time as the ruling Princess of Dorne, yet Aria had never been ashamed of choosing him in the long run.

Yet at the same time, the main reason for Elia being hesitant to admit her changed feelings for the Prince of Rohan, was that they did not belong to the same world. It was a hard choice, to choose between a new husband and possibly losing a chance to return home to her homeland, or facing the dangers that would await her children in Westeros for their Targaryen blood.

"It is in times like this, that I would want to have someone of my ancestors to talk with. Like Nymeria, for Dorne is far away from Ny Sar where she originally ruled along the Rhoyne river…"

Then Elia felt something strange in the wind. The smell of sea salt, a scent she had not felt since leaving Dragonstone to be brought as a hostage to the Red Keep. The sky seemed different too when she looked up for a moment, constellations she hasn't seen in almost four years. And then…

Along the Snowbourn river, the ghostly image of a ship sailed past her. The woman close to the figure head in the front, with a sun on her shield, could be no one else than Nymeria herself. But then the image changed slightly, now showing the Princess of the Rhoynar with a man that felt strangely familiar for Elia from the ancient family portraits.

Mors Martell, the first Prince of Dorne, the one who became the first consort of Nymeria.

It was gone in a moment when blinked and found her surroundings to seem normal again, yet somehow Elia felt that it had been a meaning behind the ghost image. That she was not the only one in her family that had faced a similar choice when it came to marriage. It was like her long-dead ancestors had tried to nonverbally show her that there would be a possible happiness for her and her children if she chose to stay in Rohan.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

The next day, Elia found to her surprise that several of the noble ladies, who had become her friends over the past year, suddenly grabbed her.

"You shall be dressed up as well for the day, this is a time of enjoyment! Our finest summer clothing, flowers in the hair!"

Realizing that they only meant to help her making herself look nice, Elia did not protest. In a way, it felt like how it once had been with her Dornish ladies-in-waiting at Dragonstone, using Rhaegar's absence to dress in the same clothing as they were used to. A dance for some time spent together and having fun with clothes.

"Do you want us to add some padding to your chest? Or is the bodice better?"

"No, I think it will be warm today and it is not comfortable with padding in such weather. I think I will just wear the orange silk dress I made from that silk fabrice some years ago."

To her surprise, they brought a set of white, yellow and orange water-lilies to form a wreath.

"We found those in the river when taking a quick morning bath earlier. We felt that they would suit your outstanding beauty."

Oh. Elia had gotten many compliments since her first year here in Rohan, she was viewed as a different sort of beauty since she honestly stood out among the women in Rohan with her olive skin tone and black hair, and the few people from Gondor that she had seen outside Boromir. But being flattered like that, with no comments about her frail health as in Westeros outside Dorne, had felt good for her self confidence.

"Thank you. Was there enough flowers for you to wear too?"

Rhaenys and Aegon showed up in the door, waving to the gathered women inside while looking nice in their best clothes too. Somewhere else in Meduseld Éowyn and Éomer were likely looking for the younger sibling duo, the now 12-year-old niece and 16-year-old nephew of the King knew that Rhaenys and Aegon liked to spend time with them despite the age difference.

"Rhaenys, Aegon? Do you want to have a quick ride before all the other fun?"

"Please!" Aegon replied immediately with one raised hand up in the air, and no one in the royal household nowadays found it strange to see Rhaenys ride on Éomer's muscular shoulders, or Éowyn carrying Aegon on her back as they chased after their older siblings. It was a pleasant sight for Elia to see her children having fun in a way they enjoyed.

It was a enjoyable day. Warm weather but not too warm, the sun was shining with only a few clouds on the sky, a nice atmosphere with people taking the chance to be with friends and family members. And of course, there was many unwed young men who offered a dance for the women at the royal court. The future King was not the the only bachelor in this area who sought out a prospective wife here in Edoras when so many noble families had gathered there for the celebration and hoped for perhaps an opportunity to socialize with a chosen lady in an acceptable way.

"I danced not too long ago, I need to rest a little," Elia politely declined an invitation to dance and went for some refreshing drinks at a longer table. To her private entertainment when she looked towards the market place, Balerion had the nerve of stealing one of the boiled chickens at one of the food stands and was chased away towards the stables by a very angry vendor.

"What a uncouth cat, that huge fellow," Mereliss laughed when she also saw what happened in the distance. There was no doubt that Balerion again had sired kittens at various households in Edoras, and it was next to impossible for Rhaenys to keep a eye on her beloved tomcat all the time.

When Elia turned around to find some shade at the ground to Meduseld, did Théodred come up to her.

"Elia, would you like to dance?"

She could not look away from how handsome he was, now when he had redressed in a more formal attire after riding earlier. Of course, the summer solstice meant that once again, she had watched him ride in the competitions and then participate in dances with different ladies. But to dance with him, was not something she would turn down now.

As it was rather crowded with all the dancing couples outside the palisade, they found a untouched small lawn where they danced one of the more formal dances from Gondor, something Elia had been taught by Boromir on his last visit when she had expressed a small wish to test out something of their respective cultures. Since his own grandmother hailed from Gondor as well, it had been only natural that Théodred had been taught those dances too as part of his education.

"If not for the serving maids to help watching them, I would have feared that Rhaenys and Aegon might get themselves lost in the crowd at some point during the day, though, for all of that they are rather familiar with Edoras nowadays. The worries of motherhood."

He was looking at her with the side-glare she now knew as a small warning about that he would address her as a Princess of Dorne, showing his respect for her birth rank.

"For all of that Tywin Lannister is a threat, he is nothing against the Shadow you have told about here in this world. By viewing him as nothing side a inhuman being, I fear neither pain or death."

"Then what would you fear, Princess?"

Ever since the confession about being from another world, Elia tried to avoid lying to Théodred. He knew the truth, and she wanted to be honest with him.

"A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them...and all chance of true happiness have gone beyond recall or desire."

Her unspoken desire: a wish of her two children being alive and healthy as adults, forming their own families with a spouse that is not a relative by blood and a huge number of offspring to make Elia a proud grandmother who could see her descendants live on. _And a new husband, someone who she had chosen by herself after falling in love for real._

"You are a daughter of princes and princesses, a daughter of the spear and sun of Dorne," Théodred spoke up as they stopped dancing the waltz, "I do not that would be your fate."

His blue eyes met her black ones. Then, without a spoken word, they leaned closer, meeting in a kiss that was anything but chaste. Sometimes feelings could be revealed without saying it openly.

Of course, some of Théodred's previous ladies to be courted did see it it all on a distance between the houses, but as they had noticed over the past year how he behaved around Elia, they felt happy over that their attempt to make Elia extra beautiful today had paid off.

"Look, look, look! A courtship pendant in gold and amber! Those are only crafted for a future Queen consort!"

"Do you think Elia will give him a responding courtship gift though a commission from mistress Kreimhild? She is the finest leather craver in Edoras, after all, so maybe a arm protector when he shoots arrows."

"And a matching dagger forged by mistress Brynhild, her partner in both work and life!"

Hearing the false cough of Laywyn behind them and hurrying away back to the dancing with her behind them to give the couple some privacy, the unwed noble daughters made a silent agreement to not speak of this until that Théodred openly revealed who his chosen wife-to-be was for the royal court. No, now they would enjoy themselves with other suitors, for they all liked Elia despite her coming from a foreign land far away from Rohan and it was clear that the Prince had been in love with her for some time now.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note: As I mentioned in chapter 36, I intend for Laywyn to be asexual and that being the reason to why she have never married or had children.


	41. Chapter 41

_**A new path in life **_

By late summer in the year 3008 of the Third Age, after a year of keeping it a quiet affair so Elia could send the happy news to her family and get their response about her new marriage, news spread from Edoras across Rohan that Théodred was betrothed to Elia Martell.

Of course, Théodred did expect that not everyone would accept the idea of him marrying a woman that was not having her origins in Rohan like his late mother Elfhild or Gondor like his paternal grandmother Morwen.

"Sorry for wanting to bring in new, healthy blood in the House of Eorl, then, and not marrying a distant relative like Fréaláf Hildeson did in order to have a heir that had a even stronger claim to the kingship of Rohan!" he once snapped at some of the older men in the royal council when they questioned his choice of bride.

The sister-son of Helm Hammerhand had, upon becoming the tenth King of Rohan, married a third-cousin so two branches of descendants to Eorl the Young had became one, but also to ensure that his wife were not too closely related to himself so their eventual children risked to have "bad blood" as it was called when children were sickly and had some form of disability resulting from their inheritage. Thanks to their culture of horse breeding, the Rohirrim were familiar with the dangers of close relatives having offspring together.

"Son, you have explained your reasons well enough. It took time for your grandmother to be accepted as well despite already being a wedded wife and mother when she became the queen consort of Rohan, despite that she is from a neighboring kingdom," Théoden spoke gently to calm his heir, recalling a few faint memories of his early childhood and watching how Morwen struggled to adjust at the beginning.

Rhaenys and Aegon was overjoyed by happiness over that they would finally have a real father in Théodred when they learned that their mother would marry him next summer, and openly called him feder now so people could hear it. For Elia, it felt like a perfect revenge against Rhaegar, that his children would call another man for father while growing up and learn that he was nothing compared against their stepfather in personality or actions.

By custom, a betrothal lasted for a year in Rohan no matter which social rank, in order to give the couple and their respective families enough time to prepare everything for the wedding. Granted, it was harder for House Martell to get involved given that Arda was a different world, but Doran assured his sister in several letters that she should not be ashamed of not having a dowry with her for now. If they only found a way to connect Dorne and Rohan in some way, there would finally be meetings between the new family members.

"The sand steeds promised to be part of my dowry is from the herds owned personally by the ruling Prince or Princess, agreed to be the finest horses in Dorne, and they always have their lineage written down to ensure that there is no inbreeding," Elia smiled at her future father-in-law as the King got to see the list of lineage on each of the horses, that Doran had sent in a letter. She had managed to figure out a almost correct translation of the different texts used in her birth land and new home land, sending a long letter home to her family where she had added a list of the unfamiliar letters. As Rohan had a oral culture, the royal court had adopted the writing system in Gondor.

Apart from the sand steeds that would enrich the horse herds of Rohan with new blood, her dowry was a annual share of whatever abundance that Dorne could bestow from a really good harvest, which would give Rohan access to new foods normally only found the lands further south and a promise of helping out in conflicts, if they could manage it.

"Dorne lost nearly half of the ten thousand soldiers alongside your uncle Lewyn in the Rebellion because their side ended up losing the battle where your dragon husband died, right? That number of soldiers that left Dorne is only two thousand lower than the full military strength of Rohan. For now, please tell your family to spare the offer for military help for the future, so the population can grow somewhat in numbers over the coming years."

As a King himself, despite not having been out in war yet so far, thankfully, Théoden knew how it could cost a kingdom in the long run when not all the men returned home. Not only would there be a raise in widows and fatherless children, many unwed men would never return home to marry their sweethearts and start families. To craft underage youths into the army was only done in a really desperate situation.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Thankfully, the news about marriage had been welcomed in Sunspear when Elia had told her family about her new path in life, for all of that it meant that she would settle down in Rohan.

Therefore, most of year 286 A.C in Dorne were spent on those happy news rather than do anything else related to the Baratheon dynasty other than sending a condolence letter to Robert and Cersei about the loss of their second son Joffrey, who had been a stillbirth a few months ago. Holly had written to Doran that the prince had been golden haired like Cersei, but entered the world outside the womb with the umbilical cord so tightly around his little neck that he was all blue-faced to the horror of not only the midwives but also Cersei who had entered a state of panic-triggered hysteria at the sight of the tight umbilical cord, and no attempt to revive him had worked.

As a result, the royal Baratheon dynasty still needed a spare to their two-year-old crown prince Lyonel and princess Argella, even if Stannis Baratheon now was newly married to Selyse Florent and there was whispers of that Robert had ordered his brother to marry quickly in order to have a backup heir if something happened to Lyonel before Cersei was pregnant again, hopefully with a new son that would be alive at the birth this time.

"I am happy for that Elia have found happiness, it means that she is held on a very good distance from the claws of Tywin Lannister here in Westeros or his spies in Essos that is searching for her, and that Rhaenys and Aegon will enjoy a proper family where they will not be forced to marry each other," Ihsan smiled when he and his sons looked over the newly made marriage contract that they had crafted after spending some time learning how to use the writing system called Tengwar.

"While Elia have promised that Théodred is anything that Rhaegar should have been, and he even have sent a few letters written in his own hand that we can read thanks to her translation list, it is still better to safe than sorry," Doran spoke up after signing with his name on the marriage contact, where they stated what Elia would be enrighted to, if she chose to return to Dorne after being widowed.

In the marriage contract sent from Rohan with a more personal letter from Elia, it was formally stated that she would be enrighted to a jointure on the event of Théodred dying before her, akin to the Widow's Law in Westeros, and be financially supported until her death unless she chose to return home to Dorne. The same contact also stated that Aegon would not inherit the kingship of Rohan from Théodred as a stepson from Elia's previous marriage and thus having no blood ties to the House of Eorl, but he and Rhaenys would be ennobled on their respective 18th birthday and be counted among the nobles of Rohan as adults.

"A good compromise, I agree. They may never rule the Seven Kingdoms as the rightful Targaryen heirs, but they will have a more free life as nobles and in Rohan they will learn just how harmful it is with the Targaryen custom of marrying a brother and sister as spouses," Oberyn said after looking over the marriage contract once more.

As Elia was not the ruling Princess of Dorne, and Mellario being pregnant with her third child by Doran now, it seemed very unlikely that her half-Targaryen children would inherit the role of being a ruling Princess or Prince after their mother. But they would inherit some of the annual income Elia had prior to her two marriages, and share that inheritance with whatever children she would have by Théodred.

"It is only regrettable that we can not be present at this second wedding of hers, but we will not give up hope of meeting one day."

With both the respective marriage contracts now signed by the future bride, groom and their families a sign of agreement, nothing prevented Elia and Théodred from marrying.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note: I tried to figure out what kind of dowry that Elia would bring into a marriage, based on this Economic Map of the Seven Kingdoms:  2018/05/03/an-economic-map-of-the-seven-kingdoms/

The Tengwar was a writing system invented by the Noldorin Elf Fëanor before the First Age of the Sun in Middle-earth. It was used for a variety of languages among the Free peoples and became perhaps the most prominent writing system of Arda, used by a variety of Races through the Ages. As Númenor had close ties to the Elves in its early history, I thought it logical that Gondor also uses that writing system and that it was adopted by the royal court in Rohan as well

The Widow's Law in Westeros forbids a man to disinherit the children by a first wife in order to bestow their lands, seat or property on a later wife or her children. Meaning that even if Jon would indeed be the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna as per the TV show, he can NOT replace Rhaenys and Aegon as the legal heir to the Iron Throne because he would be a younger son born to a second wife

Recalling my previous mentions that Joffrey was planned to be a stillbirth? Mandos and the Stranger have that as payment for Elia and her children still living, along with that Cersei now is allergic to some of the herbs in moon tea so she can not abort the children sired by Robert

According to the character profile for Selyse on the ASOIAF wiki, Stannis and Selyse married in either year 286 or 287 A.C, but given that Robert deflowered Delena Florent, a cousin of Selyse, during the wedding in the bed made for the newlyweds and Delena gave birth to a boy, Edric Storm, nine months later in 287, I think it is not impossible that their wedding were held not long after that the stillborn Joffrey was buried in this AU. I intend for Shireen to be born the same year as in canon, but having a younger sister called Rhea who takes after great-grandmother Rhaelle very much in the Targaryen appearance, and I feel that Shireen would be happier with a sibling around.


	42. Chapter 42

**Crown princess once again **

Year 3009 of the Third Age, ten days after summer solstice, Edoras:

They had chosen to have the wedding on the day that once had been Elfhild's birthday when she still lived. Théodred wanted his late mother to be present, in some spiritual sense, which was understandable with her death at his birth. Elia herself had felt so overwhelmed by grief over the death of her own mother Aria, who had passed away only two months before her wedding to Rhaegar, that it had almost ruined all the earlier joy of how she planned to improve the lives of society's vulnerable when she became queen of Westeros.

On the last evening before the wedding day, Elia found herself in the bath house with her soon-to-be new female relatives for a relaxing bath and some general chatter.

"She would have loved Rhaenys and Aegon from the very start, that is for sure," Morwen replied when Elia asked how Théoden's late wife would have reacted on her son coming home with her family like he did four years ago, "and she would have found a bond with you about not being born with the most robust health. She was not exactly sickly, but a premature birth can still cause trouble for someone's health all life."

That Elia knew far too well. Both herself and her father Ihsan was a good example of that, with the asthma that haunted Ihsan ever since he were a infant. Elia had thankfully not the same problems despite being born one month too early, but she knew that staying in a damp place like Dragonstone for a longer time was out of question since otherwise she would get fever attacks and freezing even with dressing in several layers of clothing. Even in winter when it was snow and cold weather, the climate of Rohan was far better for her than Dragonstone because it was milder.

"Feeling nervous about the big day tomorrow?" Laywyn asked while helping Rhaenys to wash the black curls inherited from the Martell side of her family.

"Not as much as when I married the first time. Now I am familiar with my future husband and knows that he would never take a mistress out of the blue or for some hare-brained reason."

"Unless that mistress is the safety and population of Rohan!" Morwen added in with a laugh, which her daughter, granddaughter and granddaughter-in-law had to agree on. But Elia felt alright with that Théodred would have to focus on their kingdom and subjects in times of crisis, that was the duty of a King after all.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

For a bride in Rohan that would marry a second time after becoming a widow, there would be something on the ankle-long dress to mark her apart from a maiden who married for the first time. A first time bride would not have any decorations at all on the dress, generally the finest dress she owned to use not only as a wedding dress but also for other holidays during the year, apart from maybe a simple embroidery of a flower on the bodice and a different-coloured embroidery thread on the long sleeves.

In Elia's case, she had chosen to use colours of the orange and golden sign of House Martell and the white horse of Rohan to symbol her homeland and the kingdom she would become a part of though the marriage, embroidering threads dyed in those colour in a wedding embroidery from Dorne on the green wedding dress with the help of Morwen, Laywyn, Éowyn and some of the best seamstresses living in Edoras.

"It looks great with the contrast in colour between the decorations and the fabric to make the dress."

Perhaps by the fashion standards of the southern nobles in Westeros, the design of the dress would have been viewed as old fashioned, something that would have been better fitted from the eras before the Conquest, perhaps even marking Rohan as not being wealthy in comparison. But the Rohirrim kept this clothing style as a way to honor their ancestors, the life they had before Eorl the Young had gained this realm as a new homeland for his people.

Once dressed in the white linen underdress, Elia got help to dress up in the wedding dress. First a woven fabric belt in the colours of House Martell was fastened around her hips, followed by a golden belt. The amber pendant which marked her as Théodred's future wife was still around her neck, where it from the following morning would be joined in the gold chain by their wedding rings since it would be rather awkward for a husband to lose his ring during combat training or any other job where it could easily happen that a wedding ring slipped off the ring finger. By letting the wife wear both rings in the same chain as the betrothal pendant, the husband knew that she would keep the proof of their marriage safe.

"And this is something that should please my son to see again. The slender gold crown Elfhild wore on their wedding as his bride."

Carefully, Morwen picked up the crown from its place in a chest filled with various pieces of jewelry belonging to the queen consort of Rohan. Over the nearly five hundred years passed since the kingdom had been founded by Eorl the Young, it had became a pretty big collection because it was sixteen generations of jewelry collected in this chest Even if Elfhild had died before becoming queen of Rohan, her personal jewelry had still been placed there as a way to honor her memory.

"Perfect fit, I think you and my late sister-in-law must have been nearly the same size," Laywyn smiled with fondness at seeing how Elia for a moment was replaced by the joyful Elfhild on the morning of her wedding day.

"Éoywn, could you please find Rhaenys? I want her to have the wreath on her head when the ceremony begins soon."

The royal sister-daughter was finished with dressing anyway, so it was only good for her to feel useful.

Inside his own bedchamber, that he would share with Elia from that evening on, was Théodred also getting ready for the wedding ceremony. Dark red was the royal colour in Rohan, often with gold embroidery, so that was how his wedding tunic had been made. Most of his clothing to wear today was his finest anyway, but it was said to bring luck into marriage if both the bride and groom wore something new as part of their clothing during the wedding.

"Aegon, wait, you will trip…"

A little too late. His soon-to-be stepson had tripped over whatever it was that he dragged along the floor, the colour hinting to it possibly being Elia's orange silk dress or the banner of Dorne that one day had been found unexpectedly among a huge pile of freshly cleaned laundry. Éomer was quick to pull up Aegon back to his feet, as Rhaenys also showed up:

"We found this in mama's clothing chest right now!"

When Éomer held it up for a better look, it revealed itself to be a cloak with the spear and sun of House Martell on it.

"She can wear it if it is not too warm in this weather, but we will not have that part of the Westerosi wedding ceremony where the groom places the cloak with the color of his family on her shoulders. I will not have Elia be reminded of her past marriage that way."

Rhaenys took that as a sign of that she could bring the cloak to her mother, and Aegon following after his sister. Seeing how Théodred was slightly distracted by his stepchildren, Théoden used that moment to place a golden crown on the head of his son.

"There, all done for the ceremony now."

It was time for the Prince of Rohan and his bride to meet in the great hall of Meduseld, to see how each one looked in the wedding clothing.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Inside the Old Palace in Sunspear, the second wedding of Elia were celebrated as well, though in a more family-related manner.

"What a feast!" Obara expressed in surprise, her shocked face mirrored by at least one sister and cousin, when the younger generation was allowed inside the feast hall after that the servants had caught all of them, thoughtfully scrubbed them clean in a hot bath and then dressed in their finest clothing. When it was their grandfather giving such orders, it was no idea to protest.

Not only was the whole feast hall decorated with fresh flowers, there was old family relics from old times that was only shown during a wedding when a member of House Martell married. All the five important adults in the direct Martell family had already gathered, dressed in their finest clothes as well.

"Of course it is a feast when your aunt is getting married today, even if we can not be present there and enjoy it with her," Mellario responded, where she just had enjoyed a taste of apple cider in a gold goblet, preferring that to drink even now four months after finishing her pregnancy, as her youngest son Trystane tended to get a belly ache whatever he nursed from her after that she had drunk some wine. Beside her at the table, Ellaria was also drinking a non-alcoholic drink as she was pregnant again since two months ago.

"Come on, young ones. Let us enjoy this tasty food normally served on a wedding here in Dorne on behalf of your aunt, cousins and her new in-laws," Ihsan attracted his grandchildren with a smile, sitting in his normal seat at the table. Once everyone was seated and had some drink poured up in their glasses, the feast could begin.

"I want the lemon-scented rice!"

"Can I start with the hummus and flatbread?"

"Mansaf for me!" Arianne requested at seeing the lamb cooked in a sauce made of dried fermented yogurt, served with rice when the servants removed the silver lids that helped to keep the food dishes warm until served. Of course it was to be expected that some of the younger generation got carried away slightly, as this was food served only at important events and thus rarely was eaten even for House Martell as the ruling family of Dorne.

"Now, now, children, it is great that you want to taste all the good stuff but we will start with the panella."

Even if it was just the closest family gathered, it would prove to a enjoyable private wedding dinner, for sure.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Back in Edoras, the wedding ceremony had just began. A bride and her groom would ride their own horses from the stone circle after first placing the wedding rings on the altar in the middle and say a shared prayer to the Valar to bless their marriage.

"_**Théodred pengel! Princesa Elia!**_"

It warmed her heart to hear the people of Edoras address her in her mother language, even if it was only one word taught though Éomer and Éowyn first teaching their peers some of the words she had taught them as their teacher and then spread to the families and other people they knew.

"_Besorh,_" Théodred tenderly whispered the Rorhirric word for "beloved" in her ear as they walked up the steps to Meduseld, and there in front of the front doors, the golden rings were placed on their respective ring finger before she removed the betrothal pendant and let her husband place those on each side of the pendant on the chain. Then, as he fastened it again around her neck and they turned to face the crowd, it was shown that they were now husband and wife.

"Long live the Prince of Rohan! Long live the Princess of Rohan!"

For the second time in her life, Elia Martell had wed a crown prince and faced the fate of becoming a queen consort. But unlike last time, when she had married the Targaryen prince who had abandoned her and their children for a prophecy, she felt some form of hope about a more happy marriage.

Arda was a different world, and there was a shadow from the East threatening the Free People of Middle-earth, but in this very moment, she felt a sense of victory that she had never known before:

She had found a true knight in shining armour, in a moment when everything seemed lost, and escaped whatever fate that otherwise would have awaited her. Therefore, in a unspoken gratefulness for how they had met four years earlier, she gave Théodred a unexpected kiss on his lips that held far far more passion that what she ever had shown her first husband.

"Tía Laywyn!" Rhaenys protested from somewhere behind the wedding couple when Laywyn pretended to cover the eyes of her and Aegon as a joke when her nephew and niece-by-marriage kissed in a way that was anything but chaste. But the hands was quickly removed again, it had been a friendly attempt to make the two children remain still just a few moments more until the wedding ceremony was finished. Now they could dash up to their mother and stepfather for the first family hug as a real family.


End file.
